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CORPORATE

SOCIAI

RESPONSIBILITY

Doing the Most Good for Your
Company and Your Cause

Best practices
from Hewlett-Packard, Ben & Jerry's,
and other leading companies

PHILIP KOTLER

S. C. Johnson Distinguished Professor <>f International Marketing

K <■ 1 1< >tr;i School of N 1 ; 1 1 1 3 ■ u < - ■ 1 1 a - ■ 1 1

NANCY LEE

TLFeBOOK

Corporate Social
Responsibility

Doing the Most Qood for
Your Company and Your Cause

Philip Kotler

and

Nancy Lee

WILEY

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Kotler, Philip.

Corporate social responsibility : doing the most good for your company
and your cause / Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-471-47611-0 (cloth)
1. Social responsibility of business. 2. Social marketing. 3.
Corporations — Charitable contributions. 4- Corporate image. I. Lee,
Nancy, 1932- II. Title.
HD60.K67 2005

658.4'08— dc22 2004020375
Printed in the United States of America.

10 987654321

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix

1 The Case for Doing at Least Some Good 1

2 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good 22

3 Corporate Cause Promotions:

Increasing Awareness and Concern for Social Causes 49

4 Cause-Related Marketing:

Making Contributions to Causes Based on Product Sales 81

5 Corporate Social Marketing:

Supporting Behavior Change Campaigns 1 14

6 Corporate Philanthropy:

Making a Direct Contribution to a Cause 144

7 Community Volunteering:

Employees Donating Their Time and Talents 1 75

8 Socially Responsible Business Practices:
Discretionary Business Practices and

Investments to Support Causes 207

Contents

9 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

for the Company and the Cause 235

10 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

and Support for Social Initiatives: Ten Recommendations 262

Notes 277

Index 297

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors want to acknowledge the following people for sharing
their stories and perspectives regarding corporate social initia-
tives, and in many cases, taking the time and effort to complete
surveys, confer with other colleagues and partners involved in these ini-
tiatives, research historical files and proof copy. We thank you.

Aleve, Rich Ehrmann at Aleve and Kelly Gifford at the Arthritis

Foundation
American Express, Anthony Mitchell

AT&T Broadband/Comcast, Liz Castells-Heard at Castells & Asociados

AT&T Wireless, Richard Brown

Athena Water, Trish May

Avon, Laura Castellano

Ben & Jerry's, Chrystie Heimert

Best Buy, Linda Wilkinson at Best Buy and Tricia Conroy at e4partners

Body Shop, Steve Mclver

British Airways, Kate Walton at UNICEF UK

Chiquita, Michael Mitchell

Cisco Systems, Nayeem Sheikh

Coca-Cola, Carol Martel

ConAgra Foods, Nancy Peck-Todd

Cone Inc., Carol Cone

Costco, Sheri Flies

Crest, Tricia Montgomery

Dell, Bryant Hilton

Dole, Amy Myrdal and Marcy Reed

Fannie Mae, Lesia Bullock

FedEx, Pam Roberson and Ron Wong

Ford, Kristen Kinley and Andy Acho

General Electric, Debra Wexler

General Mills, Chris Shea and Marybeth Thorsgaard

vii

viii

Acknowledgments

General Motors, David Jerome and Ann Kihn

Hewlett-Packard, Maureen Conway

Home Depot, Park Howell at Park and Company

IBM, Stanley Litow and Robin Willner

Intel, Gary Niekerk

Johnson & Johnson, Andrea Higham

Kenneth Cole Productions, Kristin Hoppmann

Kraft, Sally Maier and Michael Mudd

LensCrafters, Susan Knobler and Pam Kraemer

Levi Strauss & Co., Jeff Beckman and Stuart Burden

Lysol, Ruth Apgar at Reckitt Benckiser

McDonald's, Joanne Jacobs

Microsoft, Joanna Fuller

Motorola, Rich Guimond

Mustang Survival, Elizabeth Bennett at Seattle Children's Hospital & Re-
gional Medical Center
New York Times Company Foundation, Rita Wnuk
Nike, Jill Zanger
Nordstrom, Deniz Anders
Northwest Airlines, Carol Hollen

Pampers, May Stoeckle at P&G and Andrea Furia at the National Institute

of Child Health and Human Development
PARADE, Christie Emden
PETsMART, Jennifer Pflugfelder
Premera Blue Cross, Dana Hurley

QVC, Patricia McLaughlin at the American Legacy Foundation
REI, David Jayo

Safeco, Rose Lincoln and Wendy Stauff
7 -Eleven, Margaret Chabris
Share Our Strength, Bill Shore

Shell, Debbie Breazeale at Shell and Garry Snowden at Conservation Vol-
unteers Australia
Silk, David Kargas for White Wave
Starbucks, Sue Mecklenburg

Subway, Libby Puckett at North Carolina Heart and Stroke Prevention

and Steve Hanhauser at MarketSmart Advertising
Target, Diane Carlson
Timberland, Kate King and Celina Adams
Wal-Mart, Wendy Sept, Chad Graham, and Karen Wess
Washington Mutual, Sheri Pollock and Deanna Oppenheimer

INTRODUCTION

If you are reading this introduction, chances are you work in your
company's department for community relations, corporate communi-
cations, public affairs, public relations, environmental stewardship,
corporate responsibility, or corporate citizenship. But it is just as likely
that you are a marketing manager or a product manager, have responsi-
bility for some aspect of corporate philanthropy, or are on staff at a cor-
porate foundation. On the other hand, you may work at an advertising,
public relations, or public affairs firm and be looked to for advice by your
corporate clients in the area of corporate social initiatives. And you may
be the CEO.

If you are like others in any of these roles, we think it's also quite
possible that you feel challenged and pulled by the demands and ex-
pectations surrounding the buzz for corporate social responsibility. It
may be as fundamental as deciding what social issues and causes to
support and making recommendations on which ones to reject. It may
involve the grace and finesse often required for screening potential
community partners and figuring out how much or what to give. It
most likely requires rigor in selling your ideas internally, setting ap-
pealing yet realistic expectations for outcomes, and then building
cross-functional support for implementation plans. You may be con-
cerned with how to integrate a new initiative into current strategies
and to handle the extra workload. Or perhaps you are currently on the
hot seat to evaluate and report what happened with all that money
you gave last time to a cause, or gave as a result of retooling practices
implemented to save the planet last year.

If so, we have written this book for you. More than 25 of your col-
leagues in firms including Ben 6k Jerry's, IBM, Washington Mutual,
Johnson 6k Johnson, Timberland, Microsoft, The Body Shop, American
Express, and Starbucks have taken time to share their stories and their
recommendations for how to do the most good for your company as well

Introduction

as for a cause. You'll read about their hard lessons learned and perceived
keys to success.

We have a common agenda. We all want a better world and are con-
vinced that communities need corporate support and partnerships to
help make that happen. A key to bringing about this support is for cor-
porations to recognize and realize opportunities for bottom-line benefits,
including corporate goodwill.

Even though this book has been written primarily for those in for-
profit corporations and their communication agencies and foundations,
it can also be beneficial to those in nonprofit organizations and public
sector agencies seeking corporate support and partners for social initia-
tives. It offers a unique opportunity for you to gain insight into a corpora-
tion's wants and needs and can better prepare you to decide what
companies to approach and how to listen before you ask. The final chap-
ter, just for you, presents 10 recommendations that will increase your
chances they will say yes. When you recognize and practice the market-
ing role inherent in this process, your target markets will appreciate it.

Our sincere hope is that this book will leave corporate managers and
staff better prepared to choose the most appropriate issues, best partners,
and highly leveraged initiatives. We want it to help you engender inter-
nal enthusiasm for your recommendations and inspire you to develop
blue ribbon initiatives. And, perhaps most important, we imagine it in-
creasing the chances that your final report on what happened is both
credible and incredibly good news for your company and the cause.

Corporate Social
Responsibility

CHAPTER
1

The Case for Doing
at Least Some Good

For many years, community development goals were philanthropic activ-
ities that were seen as separate from business objectives, not fundamental
to them; doing well and doing good were seen as separate pursuits. But 1
think that is changing. What many of the organizations that are repre-
sented here today are learning is that cutting-edge innovation and compet-
itive advantage can result from weaving social and environmental
considerations into business strategy from the beginning. And in that
process, we can help develop the next generation of ideas and markets and
employees. 1

— Carly Fiorina, Hewlett-Packard, at the
Business for Social Responsibility
Annual Conference, November 12, 2003

This is a practical book. It is intended to help guide the decision
making of corporate managers, executives, and their staff, be-
sieged on a daily basis with requests and proposals for support of
social causes. These requests seem to come from everywhere and
everyone for everything: from nonprofit organizations, public sector
agencies, special interest groups, suppliers, potential investors, stock-
holders, politicians, even colleagues and board members; for issues
ranging from health to public safety to education to community

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

development to protecting animal rights to sustaining the environ-
ment. And the pressures to respond strategically seem to be building,
with increased internal and external expectations to address economic
responsibilities as well as social ones — to do good for the corporation as
well as the cause. This book is also intended to help guide evaluation
of program outcomes, as there are similar increased pressures to prove
the business and social value of allocations of scarce resources.

The book distinguishes six major types of corporate social initiatives
and offers perspectives from professionals in the field on strengths and
weaknesses of each in terms of benefits to the cause and benefits to the
company. These initiatives include ones that are marketing related (i.e.,
cause promotions, cause-related marketing, and corporate social market-
ing) as well as ones that are outside the typical functions of marketing
departments (i.e., employee volunteering and socially responsible busi-
ness practices). The focus is on assimilating recommended best practices
for choosing among the varied potential social issues that could be ad-
dressed by a corporation; selecting an initiative that will do the most
good for the social issue as well as the corporation; developing and im-
plementing successful program plans; and evaluating program efforts. An
underlying assumption of this book is that most for-profit corporations
will do some good, for some cause, at least some of the time.

This opening chapter sets the stage with a few definitions to estab-
lish a common language for discussions in future chapters. It highlights
trends and statistics that support the assumption that corporations have
an increased focus on social responsibility; describes the various per-
ceived factors experts identify as fueling these trends; and concludes
with current challenges and criticisms facing those attempting to do the
most good.

WHAT IS GOOD?

A quick browse of web sites for the Fortune 500 reveals that good goes
by many names, including corporate social responsibility, corporate citi-
zenship, corporate philanthropy, corporate giving, corporate community
involvement, community relations, community affairs, community de-
velopment, corporate responsibility, global citizenship, and corporate
societal marketing.

For purposes of focused discussion and applications for best practices,

What Is Good?

the authors prefer the use of the term corporate social responsibility and of-
fer the following definition:

Corporate social responsibility is a commitment to improve
community well-being through discretionary business practices and
contributions of corporate resources .

A key element of this definition is the word discretionary. We are not
referring here to business activities that are mandated by law or that are
moral or ethical in nature and perhaps therefore expected. Rather, we
are referring to a voluntary commitment a business makes in choosing
and implementing these practices and making these contributions. Such
a commitment must be demonstrated in order for a company to be de-
scribed as socially responsible and will be fulfilled through the adoption
of new business practices and/or contributions, either monetary or non-
monetary. The term community well-being in this definition includes hu-
man conditions as well as environmental issues.

Others have offered several distinct definitions of corporate social
responsibility (CSR). One from the World Business Council for Sustain-
able Development reflects the council's focus on economic development
in describing CSR as "business' commitment to contribute to sustainable
economic development, working with employees, their families, the lo-
cal community, and society at large to improve their quality of life." 2 The
organization Business for Social Responsibility defines CSR as "operat-
ing a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, com-
mercial, and public expectations that society has of business." This
definition is somewhat broader as it encompasses business decision mak-
ing related to "ethical values, legal requirements, as well as respect for
people, communities, and the environment." 3

We also use the term corporate social initiatives to describe major ef-
forts under the corporate social responsibility umbrella and offer the fol-
lowing definition:

Corporate social initiatives are major activities undertaken by a
corporation to support social causes and to fulfill commitments to
corporate social responsibility.

Causes most often supported through these initiatives are those that
contribute to community health (i.e., AIDS prevention, early detection

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

for breast cancer, timely immunizations), safety (designated driver pro-
grams, crime prevention, use of car safety restraints), education (literacy,
computers for schools, special needs education), and employment (job
training, hiring practices, plant locations); the environment (recycling,
elimination of the use of harmful chemicals, reduced packaging); com-
munity and economic development (low-interest housing loans); and
other basic human needs and desires (hunger, homelessness, animal
rights, voting privileges, antidiscrimination efforts).

Support from corporations may take many forms, including cash con-
tributions, grants, paid advertising, publicity, promotional sponsorships,
technical expertise, in-kind contributions (i.e., donations of products
such as computer equipment or services such as printing), employee vol-
unteers, and access to distribution channels. Cash contributions may
come directly through a corporation or indirectly through a foundation it
has established to focus on corporate giving on behalf of the corporation.

Corporations may be sponsoring these initiatives on their own (such
as the New York Times Company Foundation support for journalism and
journalists) or in partnership with others (as with ConAgra Foods and
America's Second Harvest). They may be conceived of and managed by
one department within the corporation, or by a team representing multi-
ple business units.

As noted earlier, we have identified six major types of corporate so-
cial initiatives, which are the focus of this book, with a chapter dedi-
cated to a detailed review of each initiative. An overview of these
initiatives is presented in Chapter 2.

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS?

In the last decade, directional signals point to increased corporate giv-
ing, increased corporate reporting on social responsibility initiatives, the
establishment of a corporate social norm to do good, and an apparent
transition from giving as an obligation to giving as a strategy.

Increased Qiving

According to Giving USA, charitable giving by for-profit corporations has
risen from an estimated $9.6 billion in 1999 to $12.19 billion in 2002. 4
Cone/Roper's Executive Study in 2000, exploring cause initiatives

What Are the Trends?

from the corporate perspective, found that 69 percent of companies
planned to increase future commitments to social issues. 5 (For more than
10 years, the well-known Cone/Roper tracking studies have been instru-
mental in providing ongoing research on attitudes toward corporate in-
volvement in cause initiatives. Their research includes surveys of
consumers, employees, and executives. Their benchmark study of con-
sumer attitudes, conducted in 1993, as well as results from subsequent
studies, is described later in this chapter. 6 )

Increased Reporting

According to KPMG, a U.S. professional services firm, a 2002 survey of
the Global Fortune Top 250 companies indicated a continued increase in
the number of American companies reporting on corporate responsibility.
In 2002, 45 percent of these companies issued environmental, social, or
sustainability reports, compared with 35 percent in their 1999 survey. 7

Major avenues for this reporting include corporate annual reports
with special sections on community giving and, increasingly, the publi-
cation of a separate annual community giving report. Starbucks, for ex-
ample, in 2003 published its second annual Report on Corporate Social
Responsibility and, in an opening letter from the Chairman and CEO,
emphasized that this report is a way "to provide transparency on our
business practices, measurements of our performance, and benchmarks
for future reports." It further explains that Starbucks took additional
measures in the second year of reporting "to assure our stakeholders that
the information in this report is accurate by engaging an independent
third party to verify its contents." 8

A review of Fortune 500 web sites also indicates that a majority now
have special reports on giving, with sections typically labeled "Corporate
Social Responsibility," "Corporate Citizenship," "Community Develop-
ment," "Community Giving," or "Community Involvement." Many of
these sections provide lengthy detail on topics like annual giving
amounts, philanthropic priorities, major initiatives, employee volun-
teerism, and sustainable business practices.

Establishment of a Corporate Social Norm to Do Qood

Within these annual reports and on these web sites, there are also consis-
tent and similar messages from CEOs, signaling that commitments to

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

corporate social responsibility have entered the mainstream of corporate
dialogue as a must-do, as indicated in the following examples:

• American Express: "Good Works = Good Business. . . . Not only is
it appropriate for the company to give back to the communities in
which it operates, it is also smart business. Healthy communities are
important to the well-being of society and the overall economy.
They also provide an environment that helps companies such as
American Express grow, innovate, and attract outstanding talent."
(Harvey Golub, Chairman and CEO, and Kenneth Chenault, Pres-
ident and Chief Operating Officer, 2000) 9

• Dell: "Dell is a global company that delivers products and services
to more than 190 countries. We have more than 40,000 employ-
ees who live and work on six continents. That's why it's important
that we provide technology to all communities that we call
home." (Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, July 2003) 10

• Fannie Mae: "Fannie Mae and the Greenlining Institute share a
common mission. We are both devoted to improving the quality
of life in underserved communities. We both are working to bring
more opportunities to people and places inside the old red lines.
And we both believe in the power of housing." (Franklin D.
Raines, Chairman and CEO, April 2003) 11

• Ford Motor Company: "There is a difference between a good
company and a great company. A good company offers excellent
products and services. A great company also offers excellent prod-
ucts and services but also strives to make the world a better place."
(William Clay Ford, Jr., Chairman of the Board and CEO) 12

• Kellogg: "There are many measures of a company's success. The
most obvious, of course, are profitability and share value. A com-
pany may also be measured by its ability to change with the times,
or develop innovative products. These elements are all vital to
Kellogg Company. But there is another important measure that
we hold ourselves accountable for — our social responsibility."
(Carlos M. Gutierrez, Chairman and CEO, 2003) 13

• Hewlett-Packard: "I honestly believe that the winning companies
of this century will be those who prove with their actions that
they can be profitable and increase social value — companies that

What Are the Trends?

both do well and do good. . . . Increasingly, shareowners, cus-
tomers, partners, and employees are going to vote with their
feet — rewarding those companies that fuel social change through
business. This is simply the new reality of business — one that we
should and must embrace." (Carly Fiorina, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, November 2003 ) 14

• McDonald's: "Social responsibility is not a program that begins
and ends. Acting responsibly has always been a part of who we
are and will continue to be the way McDonald's does business.
It's an ongoing commitment." (McDonald's CEO, Jim Can-
talupo, CEO, 2003) 15

• Nike: "The performance of Nike and every other global company in
the twenty-first century will be measured as much by our impact on
quality of life as it is by revenue growth and profit margins. We hope
to have a head start." (Phil Knight, Chairman and CEO, 2001) 16

A Shift from Obligation to Strategy

In a seminal article in the Harvard Business Review in 1994, Craig Smith
identified "The New Corporate Philanthropy," describing it as a shift to
making long-term commitments to specific social issues and initiatives;
providing more than cash contributions; sourcing funds from business
units as well as philanthropic budgets; forming strategic alliances; and
doing all of this in a way that also advances business goals.

One milestone Smith identified that contributed to this evolution
was a Supreme Court decision in the 1950s that removed legal restric-
tions and unwritten codes which up to that time had restricted, or at
least limited, corporate contributions and involvement in social issues.
Subsequently, by the 1960s most U.S. companies began to feel pressures
to demonstrate their social responsibility and established in-house foun-
dations and giving programs. 17

One of the next milestones Smith cited was the Exxon Valdez oil spill
in 1989, which brought into serious question the philanthropy of the
1970s and 1980s, where corporations tended to support social issues least
associated with their line of business, give to a variety of causes, and turn
over management of their giving to separate foundations. When Exxon
then needed access to environmentalists for expertise and support, man-
agement was "without ties to environmental leaders nurtured by the

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

foundation." 18 A final milestone that Smith identified was the emer-
gence and visibility of models in the 1990s such as one used at AT&T
that proposed a new view of the role of a corporate foundation and its re-
lationship to the for-profit arm. Its perspective was that not only should
philanthropic initiatives of the foundation support business objectives
but that business units, in return, should provide support for philan-
thropic activities in the form of resources such as marketing expertise,
technical assistance, and employee volunteers. 19

David Hess, Nikolai Rogovsky, and Thomas W. Dunfee suggest that
another force driving this shift is the new "moral marketplace factor,"
creating an increased importance of perceived corporate morality in
choices made by consumers, investors, and employees. They point to
several examples of marketplace morality, including "investors choosing
socially screened investment funds, consumers boycotting Shell Oil be-
cause of its decision to sink the Brent Spar oil rig, and employees' desires
to work for socially responsible firms." 20

The following section contrasts the more traditional approach to
corporate philanthropy with the new strategic approach in terms of best-
practice issues of selecting, developing, implementing, and evaluating
corporate social initiatives.

The Traditional Approach: Fulfilling an Obligation

Prior to the 1990s, decisions regarding the selection of social issues to
support tended to be made based on themes reflecting emerging pressures
for "doing good to look good." Corporations would commonly establish,
follow, and report on a fixed annual budget for giving, sometimes tied to
revenues or pretax earnings. Funds were allocated to as many organiza-
tions as possible, reflecting a perception that this would satisfy the most
constituent groups and create the most visibility for philanthropic ef-
forts. Commitments were more short-term, allowing the organization to
spread the wealth over a variety of organizations and issues through the
years. Interestingly (given where we are today), there was more of a ten-
dency to avoid issues that might be associated with core business prod-
ucts, which might be perceived as self-serving, and to steer clear of major
and often controversial social issues such as AIDS, judging that these
were best handled by those with expertise in governmental or nonprofit
organizations. Decisions regarding issues to support and organizations to
sponsor were also more heavily influenced by preferences (and wishes) of

What Are the Trends?

senior management and directors of boards than by needs to support
strategic business goals and objectives.

When developing and implementing specific initiatives, the rule of
thumb might have been described as to "do good as easily as possible,"
resulting in a tendency to simply write a check. Most donors were satis-
fied with being one of many corporate sponsors, as visibility for efforts
was not a goal or concern. And because it would require extra effort, few
attempts were made to integrate and coordinate giving programs with
other corporate strategies and business units such as marketing, human
resources, and operations.

In terms of evaluation, it appears little was done (or asked for) to es-
tablish quantifiable outcomes for the business or the social cause; the ap-
proach was simply to trust that good happened.

The New Approach: Supporting Corporate Objectives as Well

As noted earlier, Craig Smith described how in the early 1990s, many
turned to a new model of corporate giving, a strategic approach that ulti-
mately impacted what issues corporations supported, how they designed
and implemented their programs, and how they were evaluated.

Decision making now reflects an increased desire for "doing well and
doing good." We see more corporations picking a few strategic areas of
focus that fit with corporate values; selecting initiatives that support
business goals; choosing issues related to core products and core markets;
supporting issues that provide opportunities to meet marketing objec-
tives, such as increased market share, market penetration, or building a
desired brand identity; evaluating issues based on their potential for pos-
itive support in times of corporate crisis or national policy making; in-
volving more than one department in the selection process, so as to lay a
foundation of support for implementation of programs; and taking on is-
sues the community, customers, and employees care most about.

Developing and implementing programs in this new model looks
more like "doing all we can to do the most good, not just some good." It is
more common for managers to make long-term commitments and to offer
in-kind contributions such as corporate expertise, technological support,
access to services, and donation of retired equipment. We see more efforts
to share distribution channels with cause partners; to volunteer employee
time; to integrate the issue into marketing, corporate communications,
human resources, community relations, and operations; to form strategic

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

alliances with one or more external partners (private, public, nonprofit);
and to have funding come from additional business units such as market-
ing and human resources.

Evaluation now has increased importance, perceived as critical to
answering the question "What good did we do?" Trusting is not good
enough. This input is valued as a part of a strategic framework that then
uses this feedback for course correction and credible public reporting. As
a result, we see increased pressures for setting campaign goals, measuring
outcomes for the corporation, and measuring impact for the cause.

Amid these increased pressures for evaluation of outcomes, program
partners are challenged with determining methodologies and securing
resources to make this happen.

WHY DO GOOD?

Most health care professionals promise that if we engage in regular phys-
ical activity we'll look better, feel better, do better, and live longer. There
are many who say that participation in corporate social initiatives has
similar potential benefits. It appears that such participation looks good to
potential consumers, investors, financial analysts, business colleagues, in
annual reports, in the news, and maybe even in Congress and the court-
room. It is reported that it feels good to employees, current customers,
stockholders, and board members. There is growing evidence that it does
good for the brand and the bottom line as well as for the community. And
there are some who claim that corporations with a strong reputation for
corporate social responsibility actually last longer.

Let's examine the existing evidence that participation in corporate
social initiatives can impact key performance factors, which could then
support these claims.

Business for Social Responsibility is a leading nonprofit global orga-
nization providing businesses with information, tools, training, and advi-
sory services related to integrating corporate social responsibility in their
business operations and strategies. Their research and experience con-
cludes that companies have experienced a range of bottom-line benefits,
including reference to several of the following: 21

• Increased sales and market share.

• Strengthened brand positioning.

Why Do Good?

• Enhanced corporate image and clout.

• Increased ability to attract, motivate, and retain employees.

• Decreased operating costs.

• Increased appeal to investors and financial analysts.
Increased Sales and Market Share

Surveys conducted by Cone/Roper, mentioned earlier in this chapter,
have provided strong evidence that companies can benefit significantly
from connecting themselves to a cause, as illustrated in the following
(now often quoted) findings from their benchmark survey of consumers
in 1993/1994:

• "Eighty -four percent said they have a more positive image of com-
panies that do something to make the world better."

• "Seventy-eight percent of adults said they would be more likely to
buy a product associated with a cause they cared about."

• "Sixty-six percent said they would switch brands to support a
cause they cared about."

• "Sixty-two percent said they would switch retail stores to support
a cause."

• "Sixty-four percent believe that cause-related marketing should
be a standard part of a company's activities." 22

Further, it was found that cause marketing activities had the
strongest impact on people in higher education and income categories —
those who attended college and earn more than $30,000 a year.

Evidently, these attitudes were strengthened after 9/11, as evidenced
by the 2001 Cone/Roper Corporate Citizenship Study, which indicated
an increased importance for corporate involvement in social issues. In
March 2001, an estimated 65 percent of Americans surveyed believed
companies should support causes. By November, that number had in-
creased to 79 percent. "The atmosphere since September 1 1 has acceler-
ated and intensified a trend that our Cone/Roper research has
documented since 1993," said Carol Cone, CEO of Cone. "We are seeing
extraordinary jumps of 20 to 50 percent in public opinion. Corporate cit-
izenship should now become a critical component of business planning

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

as Americans are promising increased support for companies that share
their values and take action." 23

In 2002, there appeared to be no letup. The 2002 Cone Corporate
Citizenship Study reported that 84 percent of Americans said they would
be likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, if price
and quality are similar. 24

Others have similar contentions and present strong evidence that
involvement in social causes increases brand preference:

• Paul Bloom, Steve Hoeffler, Kevin Keller, and Carlos Basurto
contend that "consumers these days monitor and pay attention to
how brands are marketed, and if they like the way that marketing
is done because they have some type of positive feelings about or
affinity toward the social cause being supported in the marketing
program, then consumers will weigh the brand's marketing ap-
proach more heavily and positively compared to how they would
weigh a brand's marketing program if it were supporting a nonso-
cial cause (e.g., commercial sponsorship) in forming preferences." 25

• In an article by Minette Drumwright in the journal of Marketing,
entitled "Socially Responsible Organizational Buying: Environ-
mental Concern as a Noneconomic Buying Criterion," the case is
made that "as the earth becomes more populous and more re-
source depleted, noneconomic criteria are likely to play more
prominent roles in organizational buying processes." She quotes
several studies: "In surveys, 75 percent of consumers have said
their purchasing decisions are influenced by a company's reputa-
tion with respect to the environment, and eight in ten have said
they would pay more for products that are environmentally
friendly (Klein 1990). One survey notes that 85 percent have said
they believe that U.S. companies should be doing more to be-
come environmentally responsible (Chase and Smith 1992). " 26

• As summarized by Business for Social Responsibility, a 1999 study
conducted by Environics International Ltd., The Prince of Wales
Business Leaders Forum, and The Conference Board surveyed
25,000 citizens in 23 countries regarding corporate social respon-
sibility. Highlights of findings included the following:

• Ninety percent of respondents want companies to focus on
more than profitability.

Why Do Good?

• Sixty percent said they form an impression of a company
based on perceptions of social responsibility.

• Forty percent said they either responded negatively to or
said negative things about companies they perceive as not
being socially responsible.

• Seventeen percent reported they had actually avoided the
products of companies if they perceived them as not being
socially responsible. 27

Clearly, one of the best examples of a corporate social initiative that
increased sales and market share was the American Express campaign for
the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in the early 1980s. Featured in
Chapter 4, American Express is an inspiring example of the potential for
cause-related marketing. Instead of just writing a check to help with the
cause, American Express tried a new approach, and the marketing world
was watching. They pledged that every time cardholders used their cards,
the company would make a contribution to a fund to restore the Statue
of Liberty, as well as an additional contribution for every new card appli-
cation. The campaign generated $1.7 million in funds for "the lady," a 27
percent increase in card usage, and a 10 percent jump in new card mem-
ber applications. 28

Strengthened Brand Positioning

In their book Brand Spirit, Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson make
a strong case for the contribution that linking a company or brand to a
relevant charity or cause can make to the "spirit of the brand." They con-
tend that consumers are going beyond "the practical issues of functional
product performance or rational product benefits and further than the
emotional and psychological aspects of brand personality and image.
Consumers are moving towards the top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
and seeking 'self-realization.' " 29 What they are asking for and are drawn
to now are demonstrations of good. "In an anthropomorphic sense, if con-
sumers know how a brand functions and how it 'thinks' and 'feels.' then
the new question that has to be answered is 'What does it believe in?' " 30
Bloom, Hoeffler, Keller, and Basurto see "marketing initiatives con-
taining a larger amount of social content having a more positive effect
on brand judgments and feelings than initiatives that are similar in size
and scope but contain less social content. By 'social content' we mean

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

activities in the marketing initiative that are meant to make tangible im-
provements to social welfare. Thus a program that would make a dona-
tion to an environmental organization every time a purchase was made
would be higher in social content than a program that gave a consumer a
free toy every time a purchase was made." 31

Consider, for example, the spirit that participation in corporate so-
cial initiatives has given to the Ben 6k Jerry's brand. Most of us, when we
see or hear the words "Ben 6k Jerry's," think of a philanthropic company
that promotes and supports positive social change. We may know about
their PartnerShops program that waives standard franchise fees for non-
profit organizations in order to offer supportive employment; or we may
know about their commitment to promoting world peace, including a list
of 50 ways to promote peace in the world posted on their corporate web
site, www.benjerry.com; or we may know about their "Coffee For A
Change" program, which pays a premium for coffee beans from farmers
committed to sustainable farming practices. In the end, when we see the
lineup of ice creams in the freezer section of our favorite grocer, many of
us have a unique image and positive feeling for the Ben 6k Jerry's label.

Improved Corporate Image and Clout

Several existing and respected reports cover standards and assessment
of performance in the area of corporate social responsibility, including
the following:

• The Council on Economic Priorities is a public service research
firm that evaluates company performance on a range of social di-
mensions and publishes Shopping for a Better World to influence
consumers' purchase decisions. 32

• Fortune publishes an annual list of "America's Most Admired
Companies," based on a survey of 10,000 executives and securities
analysts conducted by HayGroup, a global consultancy firm. Re-
spondents are asked to rate companies, using a scale from 0 to 10,
on eight attributes: innovation, financial soundness, employee tal-
ent, use of corporate assets, long-term investment value, quality of
management, quality of products/services, and social responsibil-
ity. These eight attributes were determined more than 20 years
ago through research that uncovered strong opinions that social
responsibility — defined simply as "responsibility to the community

Why Do Good?

and/or the environment" — should be one of the eight attributes.
In 2004, those on the top 10 list for the social responsibility sub-
category in the United States were United Parcel Service, Alcoa,
Washington Mutual, BP, McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Fortune
Brands, Altria, Vulcan Materials, and American Express. 33

• Business Ethics publishes a list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens," rec-
ognizing companies' corporate social responsibility toward stake-
holders, including the environment and the community. In 2002,
the top five Best Corporate Citizens were IBM, Hewlett-Packard,
Fannie Mae, St. Paul Companies, and Procter & Gamble. 34

• Other external reports and standards covering corporate social re-
sponsibility include the Global Reporting Initiative, the Global
Sullivan Principles, Social Accountability 8000, the Caux Round
Table, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, Sun-
shine Standards for Corporate Reporting to Stakeholders, and the
Keidanren Charter for Good Corporate Behavior. 35

In addition to positive press from reports such as these, according to
Business for Social Responsibility, "companies that demonstrate they are
engaging in practices that satisfy and go beyond regulatory compliance
requirements are being given less scrutiny and more free rein by both na-
tional and local government entities." 36

A strong reputation in the community can be a real asset in times of
crisis. Hess, Rogovsky, and Dunfee describe a dramatic example of this,
in which a good reputation protected McDonald's during the 1992 South
Central Los Angeles riots. "The company's efforts in developing commu-
nity relations through its Ronald McDonald Houses and its involvement
in developing employee opportunities gave the company such a strong
reputation, McDonald's executives stated, that rioters refused to harm
their outlets. While vandalism caused tremendous damage to businesses
in the area, all 60 of McDonald's franchises were spared harm." 37

And finally, this positive corporate image may also influence pol-
icy makers as well. Craig Smith, in the article mentioned earlier, "The
New Corporate Philanthropy," cites an example for AT&T in the
early 1990s. The AT&T Foundation, the principal instrument for
AT&T philanthropy, supports various education and art programs for
children. As a result, "in the postelection (Clinton/Gore) economic
summit in Little Rock, Arkansas . . . [AT&T CEO Robert] Allen was

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

able to comment on the link between economic performance and the
well-being of children. Then, as if to thank Allen for addressing a cru-
cial issue on the policy agenda, President Clinton called on Allen to
speak about the information superhighway. In front of the nation, the
CEO of AT&T was able to make a point crucial to the company's gov-
ernment relations strategy: the superhighway should be a private
rather than a public initiative." 38

Increased Ability to Attract, Motivate, and Retain Employees

Cone/Roper studies also indicate that a company's participation in so-
cial initiatives can have a positive impact on prospective and current
employees, as well as citizens and executives. According to their March
2001 survey, employees working in companies reported to have cause-
related programs were 38 percent more likely to say they are proud of
their company's values than were employees in companies not reported
to have these programs. Even before 9/1 1, 48 percent of respondents in-
dicated that a company's commitment to causes is important when de-
ciding where to work. After 9/11, that percentage rose to 76. 39 And in
their 2002 Citizenship Study with a national cross section of 1,040
adults, 80 percent of respondents said they would be likely to refuse to
work at a company if they were to find out about negative corporate cit-
izenship practices. 40

Similarly, one noteworthy study conducted by Net Impact found
that more than half of the 2,100 MBA students surveyed indicated they
would accept a lower salary in order to work for a socially responsible
company. Two additional studies conducted by the World Resources In-
stitute and the Initiative for Social Innovation Through Business, also
focused on MBAs, reported that these graduates look for the right corpo-
rate culture, as well as the right salary, job description, and opportunities
for promotion. 41

At Timberland, for example, full-time U.S. employees are given 40
hours of paid time off to perform community service; part-time employ-
ees get 16 hours per year. This program, called Path of Service, began in
1992, and by the year 2000, nearly 95 percent of Timberland's U.S. em-
ployees were participating in the program. The program has been recog-
nized by many, including Fortune, which for the past three years has
rated Timberland as one of its "100 Best Companies to Work For." This
service program was cited as a factor in its selection. 42

Why Do Good?

Decreased Operating Costs

Several business functions can cite decreased operating costs and in-
creased revenue from grants and incentives as a result of the implemen-
tation of corporate social initiatives. One arena easy to point to includes
companies who adopt environmental initiatives to reduce waste, reuse
materials, recycle, and conserve water and electricity.

At Cisco Systems, for example, an energy conservation initiative
called "Cleaner Air and Millions in Savings" is expected to save the com-
pany about $4-5 million per year in operating costs. In addition, these en-
ergy savings will eventually qualify the company for an estimated $5.7
million in rebates from the local energy supplier, Pacific Gas & Electric. 43

Another area for potential reduced costs is in advertising expendi-
tures, especially as a result of increased free publicity. The Body Shop, for
example, is noted for its campaign against using animals for cosmetic test-
ing. According to an article by the World Business Council for Sustain-
able Development, "The Body Shop was launched on the basis of fair
prices for fairly produced cosmetics. Anita Roddick, its founder, generated
so much favorable publicity that the company did not need to advertise: a
win-win on the cost-benefit front, leaving aside the do-gooding." 44

Increased Appeal to Investors and Financial Analysts

Some argue that involvement in corporate social initiatives can even in-
crease stock value. They point to the ability to attract new investors and
reduce exposure to risk in the event of corporate or management crises:

• In an article appearing in the Financial Times in July 2003, Jane
Fuller wrote: "It pains me to say this, but I am becoming less cyni-
cal about Corporate Social Responsibility. This is not because of
the weight of words expended on this subject by companies, lobby-
ists, and politicians. It is because companies that are less exposed
to social, environmental, and ethical risks are more highly valued
by the market ... In other words, investors are already pricing in
social, environmental, and ethical factors. This is not sentimental
behavior. It represents a cool appraisal of various costs." 45

• Praveen Sinha, Chekitan Dev, and Tania Salas suggest that demand
for investments in firms deemed socially responsible can be en-
hanced "as some mutual funds and large pension funds are mandated

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

to make investments in only those companies deemed socially re-
sponsible (for instance, CREF's Social Choice Fund)." 46

• Business for Social Responsibility agrees that companies that ad-
dress ethical, social, and environmental responsibilities have
"rapidly growing access to capital that might not otherwise have
been available." They cite a Social Investment Forum report that
estimates that assets under management in portfolios using
screens linked to ethics, the environment, and corporate social re-
sponsibility have grown from "$639 billion in 1995 to $1,185 tril-
lion in 1997, to $2.16 trillion in 1999." 47

• An often-quoted study by the University of Southwestern
Louisiana, "The Effect of Published Reports on Unethical Conduct
on Stock Prices," demonstrated that publicity about unethical cor-
porate behavior lowers stock prices for a minimum of six months. 48

• According to an article posted by SocialFunds.com in April 2002,
an academic study conducted at DePaul University concluded
that the 100 companies making Business Ethics' list of 100 Best
Corporate Citizens had a better financial performance than the
remaining companies on the S&P 500. Business Ethics editor and
publisher Marjorie Kelly was quoted as saying, "These top compa-
nies perform substantially better than their S&P 500 peers, in
strictly financial terms." 49

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CURRENT
CHALLENGES TO DOING GOOD?

Managers and program planners are challenged at each of the fundamen-
tal decision points identified throughout this book — decisions related to
choosing a social issue, selecting an initiative to support this issue, devel-
oping and implementing program plans, and evaluating outcomes.

Choosing a Social Issue

Challenges are perhaps the greatest in this very first step, as experience
has shown that some social issues are a better fit than others, and this
first decision has the greatest impact on subsequent programs and out-
comes. Those making the recommendations will end up juggling com-

What Are the Major Current Challenges to Doing Good?

peting priorities and publics. They will be faced with tough questions, in-
cluding these:

• How does this support our business goals?

• How big of a social problem is this?

• Isn't the government or someone else handling this?

• What will our stockholders think of our involvement in this issue?

• Is this something our employees can get excited about?

• Won't this encourage others involved in this cause to approach us
(bug us) for funds?

• How do we know this isn't the "cause du jour"?

• Will this cause backfire on us and create a scandal?

• Is this something our competitors are involved in and own already?

In February 2003, a feature article in Business2.0 entitled "The Selling
of Breast Cancer" described one of the pitfalls in this decision making in
real terms. In the summer of 2000, Dreyer's had apparently decided it
wanted to support the cause of fighting breast cancer. "It had watched other
companies conduct campaigns backing the search for a cure — and had seen
their logos displayed at well-attended rallies and their products festooned
with the cause's signature pink ribbons." When Dreyer's approached the
Komen Foundation, however, they found that Yoplait had an exclusive
contract to be the only yogurt manufacturer involved in this cause. 50

Selecting an Initiative to Address the Issue

Once an issue has been chosen, managers will be challenged regarding
recommendations on what initiative or initiatives among the six identi-
fied in Chapter 2 should be selected to support the issue. Again, they will
need to be prepared to answer tough questions:

• How can we do this without distracting us from our core business?

• How will this initiative give visibility to this company?

• Do these promotions really work? Who pays attention to them?

• What if we tie our funding commitment to sales and end up writ-
ing them a check for only $100? How will that look?

The Case for Doing at Least Some Good

• What if consumers find out that the amount of the sale that actu-
ally goes to the cause is minuscule?

• Have we calculated the productivity cost for giving our employees
time off for volunteering?

• Giving visibility, especially shelf space in our stores, for this cause
doesn't pencil out. Shouldn't we just write a check or give a grant?

Developing and Implementing Program Plans

Key decisions at this point include whether to partner with others and, if
so, with whom; determining key strategies, including communications
and distribution channels; assigning roles and responsibilities; develop-
ing timetables; and determining budget allocations and funding sources.
The questions continue, especially around issues of time and money:

• How can we do this when money is needed for increased perfor-
mance?

• What do we say to stockholders who see this as money that be-
longs to them?

• Why is our department being asked to fund this?

• Will having partners bog down the decision-making process and
therefore take more of our staff time?

• Will we be doing enough good for the cause to justify the ex-
pense?

• Isn't this just brand advertising in disguise?

• What is our exit strategy?

• How do we keep from looking hypocritical?

Philip Morris began a social marketing initiative in 1999 with the
slogan, "Talk to your kids about not smoking. They'll listen." This mass
media campaign included print ads in magazines, a free 16-page, four-
color brochure, and a web site with tips and lists of additional resources
for parents. For some, this initiative probably rang hollow, with people
perhaps questioning the authenticity of a claim that a member of the to-
bacco industry is not interested in a market representing an estimated
one billion packs of cigarettes a year. 51

What Are the Major Current Challenges to Doing Good?

Evaluation

Ongoing measurement of marketing activities and financial investments
for corporations has a long record, with decades of experience in building
sophisticated tracking systems and databases that provide analysis of re-
turns on investments and compare current activities to benchmarks and
"gold standards." By contrast, the science of measuring return on invest-
ments in corporate social initiatives is very young, with little historic
data and expertise. Marketing professionals and academic experts in the
field confirm this challenge.

• Sinha, Dev, and Salas report that "Since the benefits related to
CSR are not directly measurable, and most firms do not disclose
expenses related to such activities, it is difficult to directly assess
the return on CSR investment." 52

• McDonald's reports that even measuring a major event is chal-
lenging. "Most of our current goals and measurements are related
to processes, systems development, and standard setting. . . . We
are 70 percent franchised around the world: Currently, we do not
have systems to collect and aggregate what some 5,500 indepen-
dent owner/operators do for their community, people, and envi-
ronment at the local level." 53

• John Gourville and Kash Rangan confirm this difficulty: "Rarely do
firms fully assess a cause marketing alliance and its potential impact
on both the for-profit and the nonprofit entities. Yes, there are sev-
eral stunning success stories . . . but most for-profit businesses would
be hard-pressed to document the long-term business impact of their
cause marketing campaigns and most nonprofits would have trou-
ble pinpointing the value they bring to the partnership." 54

And yet, as Bloom, Hoeffler, Keller, and Basurto conclude, "showing
that the program was a more financially productive promotional tool than
other possible promotional tools is becoming increasingly necessary." 55

Subsequent chapters, especially our summary chapter on best prac-
tices (Chapter 9), is intended to help answer these questions and prepare
managers for these challenges.

CHAPTER

Corporate Social Initiatives:
Six Options for Doing Good

Since its founding in 1889, Washington Mutual has made giving back to
the communities in which it operates a top priority, not simply because it's
good for business , but because it's the right thing for responsible corporate
citizens to do. And make no mistake, the results are tangible.

— Kerry Killinger, Chairman, President,
and CEO of Washington Mutual, in the
2001 Community Annual Report 1

In Chapter 1 we defined corporate social initiatives as major activities
undertaken by a corporation to support social causes and to fulfill
commitments to corporate social responsibility. We have identified
six major initiatives under which most social responsibility-related ac-
tivities fall, and this chapter gives brief descriptions of each. In subse-
quent chapters, each initiative is presented in more detail, including
typical programs, potential benefits, potential concerns, keys to success,
when to consider the initiative, and steps in developing program plans.
The final chapters of the book summarize these perspectives to present
best practices for choosing, implementing, and evaluating corporate so-
cial initiatives.

Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good 23

The six social initiatives explored are as follows:

1. Cause Promotions: A corporation provides funds, in-kind con-
tributions, or other corporate resources to increase awareness and con-
cern about a social cause or to support fundraising, participation, or
volunteer recruitment for a cause. The corporation may initiate and
manage the promotion on its own (i.e., The Body Shop promoting a ban
on the use of animals to test cosmetics); it may be a major partner in an
effort (Aleve sponsoring the Arthritis Foundation's fundraising walk); or
it may be one of several sponsors (Keep America Beautiful 2003 sponsors
for the "Great American Cleanup" included Lysol, PepsiCo, and Fire-
stone Tire 6k Service Centers, among others).

2. Cause-Related Marketing: A corporation commits to making a
contribution or donating a percentage of revenues to a specific cause
based on product sales. Most commonly this offer is for an announced
period of time, for a specific product, and for a specified charity. In this
scenario, a corporation is most often partnered with a nonprofit organi-
zation, creating a mutually beneficial relationship designed to increase
sales of a particular product and to generate financial support for the
charity (for example, Comcast donates $4.95 of installation fees for its
high-speed Internet service to Ronald McDonald House Charities
through the end of a given month). Many think of this as a win- win- win,
as it provides consumers an opportunity to contribute for free to their fa-
vorite charities as well.

3. Corporate Social Marketing: A corporation supports the devel-
opment and/or implementation of a behavior change campaign intended
to improve public health, safety, the environment, or community well-
being. The distinguishing feature is the behavior change focus, which dif-
ferentiates it from cause promotions that focus on supporting awareness,
fundraising, and volunteer recruitment for a cause. A corporation may
develop and implement a behavior change campaign on its own (i.e.,
Philip Morris encouraging parents to talk with their kids about tobacco
use), but more often it involves partners in public sector agencies (Home
Depot and a utility promoting water conservation tips) and/or nonprofit
organizations (Pampers and the SIDS Foundation encouraging caretak-
ers to put infants on their backs to sleep).

4- Corporate Philanthropy: A corporation makes a direct contribu-
tion to a charity or cause, most often in the form of cash grants, donations,

24 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

and/or inkind services. This initiative is perhaps the most traditional of all
corporate social initiatives and for many decades was approached in a re-
sponsive, even ad hoc manner. As mentioned in Chapter 1 , more corpora-
tions are now experiencing pressures, both internally and externally, to
move to a more strategic approach, choosing a focus and tying philan-
thropic activities to the company's business goals and objectives.

5. Community Volunteering: A corporation supports and encour-
ages employees, retail partners, and/or franchise members to volunteer
their time to support local community organizations and causes. This ac-
tivity may be a stand-alone effort (i.e., employees of a high tech com-
pany tutoring youth in middle schools on computer skills) or it may be
done in partnership with a nonprofit organization (Shell employees
working with The Ocean Conservancy on a beach cleanup). Volunteer
activities may be organized by the corporation, or employees may choose
their own activities and receive support from the company through such
means as paid time off and volunteer database matching programs.

6. Socially Responsible Business Practices: A corporation adopts
and conducts discretionary business practices and investments that sup-
port social causes to improve community well-being and protect the en-
vironment. Initiatives may be conceived of and implemented by the
organization (i.e., Kraft deciding to eliminate all in-school marketing) or
they may be in partnership with others (Starbucks working with Conser-
vation International to support farmers to minimize impact on their lo-
cal environments).

To further illustrate and bring to life these distinctions, three case
examples follow: Washington Mutual, Dell Inc., and McDonald's. In
each case, background information on the corporation's focus for social
initiatives is briefly described, followed by an example of a social initia-
tive in each of the six areas.

WASHINGTON MUTUAL, INC.

With a history dating back to 1889, Washington Mutual, Inc. — or
WaMu, as it is known — is a national financial institution with a 115-
year legacy of contributing to the communities where it does business.
As reported in its 2003 Community Annual Report, total combined

Table 2. 1 Examples of Washington Mutual's Corporate Social Initiatives

Corporate

Socially

Cause

Cause-Related

Social

Corporate

Community

Responsible

Promotions

Marketing

Philanthropy

Volunteering

Business Practices

1 (per i*i t~\t~\ r\t~\
L^CSCl LpLiOIl

OUjjpUI Llll^ SOCLdL

IVldJs_lIiP ci

OlippOI LLIL^

IVldKlIlg Q11CCL

I lOViUlILg VOlUllLCCl

.T^UUpLlllg dllU

causes through

contribution or

behavior change

contributions to a

services in the

conducting

promotional

donating a

campaigns

charity or cause

community

discretionary

sponsorships

percentage of
revenues to a
specific cause
based on
product sales
or usage

business practices
and investments
that support social
causes

Example

WaMu sponsors

The WaMoola

WaMu sponsors

WaMu awards cash

WaMu supports

WaMu provides

teacher

for Schools®

bank days at

grants to fund

employees to

on-the-job training

recruitment

program ties

elementary

professional

volunteer in

for high school

programs

support for local

schools where

development of

classrooms and

interns

schools to

parent and team

teachers

spruce up school

Visa® Check

volunteers work

grounds

Card usage.

with students to
open savings
accounts and
make regular
deposits

26 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

charitable giving by Washington Mutual, Inc. and its subsidiaries
equaled $94-0 million for the year, up from $72.0 million in 2002.

WaMu has a strategic focus for giving, with a top priority since
1927 placed on improving K-12 education. In 2003 alone, it gave
$15.7 million in cash grants to education initiatives. Its customer re-
search and community needs assessment findings consistently identify
education as a key community concern. Contributions to this effort are
primarily achieved through cash grants, innovative programs, and em-
ployee volunteerism. (See Table 2.1.)

The banks in the Washington Mutual family of companies have a
standard practice to involve its branch network in support of education
initiatives and to make strong efforts to connect those initiatives to its
product offerings, to feature them in new market launches, and to create
visibility for its contributions and initiatives in its advertising, publicity,
and collateral and special events. Research indicates that the results of
these initiatives are an increase in business, goodwill in the community,
and customer loyalty. WaMu advises other corporate managers to stick
with a few good ideas, develop long-term equity, and take special, even
bold measures to ensure that messages regarding giving do not get lost
among other efforts. 2

Note that the theme of education is reflected in each example of
WaMu's social initiatives in this summary list. A detailed description of
the programs follows.

Cause Promotions: Teacher Recruitment

WaMu supports a variety of programs and efforts to attract and keep tal-
ent in the classroom. Spurred by the U.S. Department of Education's
prediction that our nation will need more than two million new teachers
over the next decade, WaMu focuses on programs targeting recent col-
lege graduates as well as mid-career professionals.

As an example of a local program, financial centers in Miami,
Florida, helped Washington Mutual sponsor a May 2003 town hall meet-
ing that facilitated community discussions around teacher recruitment,
induction, and retention. In attendance were more than 200 community
members, including local businesspeople, elected officials, parents, ad-
ministrators, and teachers. One activity of support included the distribu-
tion of 197,000 fliers publicizing the event to parents and Washington
Mutual's banking customers (see Figure 2.1). The meeting aired on

Washington Mutual, Inc.

CLASSROOM

Who will teach our kids?

Pon't miss this important
live Town Hall Meeting
Wednesday, May t% t 7-8 p.m.
on C&S4

Moderated by CSS4 anchors
Eliott Rodriguez and Maggie Rodriguez,
and Miami Herald reporter and columnist Robert Steinback

Stay informed. Tune in and learn more about
the teacher shortage crisis.

Figure 2.1 Washington Mutual was a sponsor of a town hall
meeting on teacher recruitment, induction, and retention.
(Courtesy ofKCNC-TV.)

28 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

WFOR-TV, CBS4, a local television station, with a reported 40,000
households tuned in and more than 10.4 million audience impressions
garnered by this airing and related coverage.

Cause-Related Marketing: The WaMoola for Schools® Program

In a time when educational budgets are tighter than ever, every dollar
counts when it comes to school funding. This is especially true for unre-
stricted funds, in which schools can decide for themselves how to use the
money — whether it's for teacher training, special assemblies, school sup-
plies, playground equipment, field trips, or musical instruments. WaMu
found every school has a wish list, and wants to help fulfill them.

The WaMoola for Schools® program was specifically created to sup-
port K-12 schools. For years under this program the banks in the
Washington Mutual family of companies gave $1 per checking ac-
count to a public K-12 school. This year (2004), it relaunched this
program to support both public and private K-12 schools. It is believed
to be the first program of its kind to tie support for local schools to
Visa® Check Card purchases once the customer enrolls, and in turn al-
lows schools to accumulate points that will be converted to cash at
the end of each year.

The program was designed to be simple and flexible. There's no en-
rollment fee, and Washington Mutual does not charge customers for us-
ing its check cards for purchases (though merchants might). Under the
program, customers enroll by selecting a school to benefit and begin by
simply using their check cards when making everyday purchases. The
designated public or private school will receive a point currently equiva-
lent to 5 cents for each purchase made using the card. At the end of the
year, the points will be converted into cash and schools receive a check
from Washington Mutual (see Figure 2.2).

Corporate Social Marketing: School Savings® Program

Since 1923, the School Savings® program has provided students with
hands-on lessons about handling money responsibly. Professionals from
local Washington Mutual financial centers work with elementary schools
and parent volunteers to teach students positive savings habits. At partic-
ipating schools across the country, students are encouraged to open a
Washington Mutual savings account and then to bring their allowance,

Washington Mutual, Inc.

Figure 2.2 The WaMoola for Schools® program awards points to
designated schools for each purchase made using a Washington Mutual
VISA® Check Card by a customer enrolled in the program. At the end of
the year, the points are converted to cash and Washington Mutual mails
checks to the local schools. (Reprinted courtesy of Washington Mutual.)

30 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

birthday checks, and odd-job money on weekly school Bank Days to give
to the volunteer to deposit at the bank.

The School Savings program is primarily promoted through a grass-
roots effort. Resource materials and training classes are provided for fi-
nancial center employees so they can learn about the program and
present it to local schools. Marketing materials such as a kid-oriented,
fun program guide, brochure, and calendar are used at PTA meetings and
other local events to promote the program (see Figure 2.3). Nearly

Figure 2.3 Materials used in classrooms to teach students positive
savings habits. (Reprinted courtesy of Washington Mutual.)

Washington Mutual, Inc.

200,000 students at more than 1,000 elementary schools around the
country now participate in the School Savings program.

Corporate Philanthropy: Cash Qrants for Education

WaMu also gives millions of dollars each year to fund the professional
development of teachers, leadership training for principals, organiza-
tional development for schools, and programs that provide information
about school performance to parents. Special emphasis is placed on
grants to education programs benefiting K-12 public schools in low- to
moderate -income communities.

When choosing among applications, WaMu looks for those with
clearly measurable results and ones providing opportunities for teachers
to grow professionally, learn from experience, and work with their peers
to improve performance. 3

An example is WaMu's funding of professional development oppor-
tunities for teachers. Through its Teacher Scholarship Fund, WaMu pro-
vides assistance for educators seeking certification by the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards. At year-end 2003, WaMu provided
scholarship assistance to more than 2,400 teachers nationwide. 4

Community Volunteering: CAN.' (Committed Active Neighbors)™

In 2003, WaMu employees volunteered 44,000 times for a total of
184,000 hours of community service. Many employees volunteer for
schools, organizing projects ranging from helping teachers in the class-
room and sprucing up school grounds to conducting school supply drives.
Employees worked on the projects either solo or as teams. 5

The company provides management support for eligible employ-
ees to volunteer up to four hours of paid time off per month, and
incentives that include company donations to the nonprofits employ-
ees serve.

One financial education activity is the Classroom Presentations pro-
gram, consisting of free, one-hour courses introducing young students to
the concept of money and teenagers to the concept of credit manage-
ment. As an example, in Pasadena, California, WaMu volunteers arrived
at Eugene Field Elementary wearing CAN! shirts, visors, and handmade
medallions shaped like giant coins, and made their presentation on fi-
nancial literacy fun through rap songs (see Figure 2.4). 6

32 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

Figure 2.4 WaMu employees volunteering in a classroom.
(Photo: JeffBraverman.)

WaMu also offers financial education classes for adults. Your Money
Matters is a four-part curriculum specifically designed for adults who have
little or no banking experience. Classes are available in both English and
Spanish and include Checking and Savings, Budgeting and Your Credit,
Lending Basics, and Credit Card Basics. In 2003, more than 8,500 con-
sumers participated in Your Money Matters classes.

Socially Responsible Business Practices: High School Intern Program

Washington Mutual's High School Intern Program (HIP) reflects the com-
pany's commitment to preparing a workforce for the future and giving
students the opportunity to gain extensive job training and valuable
work experience. Likewise, the program enables Washington Mutual to
recruit and mentor new talent. Washington Mutual works with local
schools to recruit interns for such positions as financial representatives,
support specialists, and other administrative jobs.

Dell Inc.

This training gives HIP interns work experience, transferable job
skills, and, in some cases, academic credit. Some interns become regular
Washington Mutual employees. In 2003, nearly 800 high school students
across the country graduated from the two-year program. 7

Among the company's top priorities in support of its commitment
to socially responsible business practices is the development of a work-
force responsive to the needs of the diverse communities in which
Washington Mutual does business. In 2003, WaMu ranked 4th in the
nation in Working Woman magazine's "Top 25 Companies for Execu-
tive Women" and once again ranked among Fortune's "Best Compa-
nies for Minorities." 8

DELL INC.

Dell is a global company that delivers products and services in more
than 190 countries and has more than 40,000 employees who live and
work on six continents. 9 Major products include enterprise computing
products, desktops, monitors, printers, notebooks, handhelds, software,
and peripherals.

Dell has a focus on fully integrating improved environmental perfor-
mance into business practices and marketing efforts, as well as corporate
giving. In a letter on Dell's commitment to the environment, Chairman
and CEO Michael Dell wrote: "Dell is fully committed to products and
practices that minimize risk to the environment, working to reduce —
and eventually eliminate — environmentally sensitive substances and to
keep materials out of landfills." 10 This is further articulated through an
environmental policy that includes designing products with the environ-
ment in mind, preventing waste and pollution, and achieving an envi-
ronmentally focused culture. 11

In the summary list, note the theme of environmental stewardship in
each of the major initiatives. A more detailed description of each of the
programs follows.

Cause Promotions: Dell Recycle

Electronic equipment is a fast-growing portion of America's potential
trash, with 250 million computers predicted to become obsolete by

Table 2.2 Examples of Corporate Social Initiatives for Dell

Corporate

Socially

Cause

Cause-Related

Social

Corporate

Community

Responsible

Promotions

Marketing

Philanthropy

Volunteering

Business Practices

Description

Supporting

Donating a

Supporting

Making direct

Providing volunteer

Adopting and

social causes

percentage of

behavior

contributions to a

services in the

conducting

through

revenues to a

change

charity or cause

community

discretionary

promotions to

specific cause

campaigns

business

increase

based on

practices and

awareness,

product sales

investments that

fundraising,

support social

volunteers

causes

Example

Dell sponsors

Dell offers 10

Dell offers free

Through Dell's

Dell employees

Dell creates

efforts to collect

percent off

and convenient

"Direct Giving"

around the globe

product design

used computers

selected new

return of used

program with

participate in

programs with

for donations to

products when

printers for

employees,

"Global

specific

local nonprofits

up to three

recycling or

employee

Community

environmental

and public

used products

reuse

donations are made

Involvement

guidelines,

agencies

are recycled
online

to Earth Share,
which supports
multiple
environmental
projects

Week" each
September,
including activities
such as park
cleanup

policies, and
goals

Dell Inc.

2005. 12 Through Dell's partnership with the National Cristina Founda-
tion (NCF), customers can donate computer equipment to charity, do
their part to reduce landfills, and possibly receive a tax deduction. The
National Cristina Foundation is a nonprofit organization that places
used computers and other technology with local nonprofit organizations
and public agencies that serve disabled and economically disadvantaged
children and adults. 13

In December 2001, Dell and NCF marked the one-year anniversary
of this partnership through which hundreds of computers had been do-
nated and reused by organizations worldwide. A special holiday promo-
tion encouraged consumers to donate their used computers at no cost
through Dell Recycling at www.dell4me.com/recycling, where con-
sumers would enter information about their system online and NCF
would search for partner agencies to match the donation in the donor's
area. The local organization would then work with the consumer to
arrange pickup or drop-off. 14 Figure 2.5 shows Dell's recycling logo.

Cause-Related Marketing: Discounts for Recycling Online

In another effort to encourage recycling of used equipment, Dell offered
a deal in the summer of 2003 (see Figure 2.6): Recycle up to three items
of select equipment, such as desktops, monitors, or notebooks, and get
50 percent off the regular recycling price per unit. Any brand of com-
puter, keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, fax machine, scanner, or

No computer should go to waste.

Figure 2.5 Logo used for Dell's recycling messages. (Reprinted courtesy
of Dell.)

DOLL

36 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

GET 50% OFF DELL RECYCLING!

PLUS 10% OFF SOFTWARE AND PERIPHERALS

When you recycle your old PC or other electronics
using Dell Recycling online.

Limited Time Offer!

Figure 2.6 A promotional offer by Dell to stimulate recycling.
(Reprinted courtesy of Dell.)

speakers were accepted for recycling. The offer also included a coupon
for 10 percent off any online purchases of software and peripheral prod-
ucts. Preliminary results suggested as much as a 200 percent increase in
orders per day.

Corporate Social Marketing: Printer Recycling

In March 2003, Dell began offering a new product line, printers, and as
part of this launch, promoted their new printer-recycling program.

When customers purchase a Dell printer, they can now recycle their
outdated printers at no additional cost and without leaving home. They
can put it in the box their new Dell printer comes in, attach the prepaid
shipping label supplied by Dell, and then go online to arrange for free
pickup by Airborne at home or office. 15

Corporate Philanthropy: Direct Qiving

Dell's "Direct Giving" program gives employees a chance to contribute
to the nonprofit of their choice through payroll deduction. One of the
key beneficiaries of employees' generosity over the past few years is Earth
Share of Texas. Earth Share in turn is a funding source for a variety of
environmental projects and organizations.

Community Volunteering: Eco-Efficiency Team

Dell's "Eco-efficiency Team" is a forum for employees to bring ideas for
environmentally oriented projects for Dell to consider and to then give
employees volunteer opportunities in the community. Employees volun-
teering at recycling events in Nashville and Austin not only added to

McDonald's Corporation

the productivity of the event, but also gave staff exposure to the com-
pany's commitment to sustainable activities.

Socially Responsible Business Practices: Design for
Environment Program 16

Dell's 2003 Environmental Report articulates their "Design for Environ-
ment" program, giving examples of measures they take in product design
to (a) extend product life span; (b) reduce energy consumption; (c)
avoid environmentally sensitive materials, particularly those that may
have an adverse impact on the environment at product end-of-life; (d)
promote dematerialization (reduced volume of materials in a product);
and (e) use parts that are capable of being recycled at the highest level.

Dell participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) ENERGY STAR program to reduce power consumption of office
equipment. The program allows manufacturers to partner with the EPA
to design and certify products that meet or exceed federal government
guidelines for low power consumption. Dell has actively participated in
the program since 1993.

Currently, more than 50 substances and compounds are restricted for
use in the manufacture of Dell products and in the finished products
themselves. Dell has set a goal for 2003-2005 to, at a minimum, main-
tain a 20 percent reduction in the amount of lead shipped in displays
when compared to 2002 levels. In addition, Dell has transitioned from
cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors to the liquid crystal display (LCD)
technology used in flat-panel displays, resulting in a reduction in lead
content. Dell is also actively working with resin suppliers to increase the
usage of post-consumer recycled-content plastics. 17

MCDONALD'S CORPORATION

McDonald's Corporation is among Fortune's "Most Admired Companies"
for social responsibility (2000-2002, 2004) and in 2001 was ranked in
the Wall Street Journal as number five in reputation for corporate social
responsibility. 18

In April 2002, McDonald's issued its first Social Responsibility Re-
port, in which Chairman and CEO Jim Cantalupo wrote: "McDonald's
has the honor of serving more customers around the world than anyone

38 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

else. With this privilege comes a responsibility to be a good neighbor,
employer, and steward of the environment, and a unique opportunity to
be a leader and a catalyst for positive change. We recognize the chal-
lenges and the obstacles, but believe strongly in the importance of social
responsibility." 19

The report suggests a renewed and perhaps even more accountable
commitment to being a socially responsible leader and states that it is a "
beginning and a template by which we will measure our progress in the
area of social responsibility." 20 The report then details a wide range of
initiatives in the areas of community, environment, people, and market-
place, and outlines related goals and plans, at the same time acknowledg-
ing the challenges McDonald's faces in gathering information and
measuring progress. 21

In the summary list, note the themes of the well-being of families
and children and giving back to the local communities in which they do
business. A more detailed description of each of the programs follows.

Cause Promotion: International Youth Camp

In 2000, McDonald's was a major sponsor of the Olympic Youth Camp, a
program that brought more than 400 young men and women from
around the globe to Sydney, Australia, where they participated in a vari-
ety of arts, sports, and cross-cultural activities. The Youth Camp was in-
augurated at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden.

McDonald's was the first global company to sponsor the National
Olympic Committee (NOC) selection of the 2000 Sydney Youth Camp
participants from nearly 200 countries around the world. Participating
McDonald's restaurants and NOCs worldwide worked together to select
two McDonald's Olympic Achievers from each country to attend the
Sydney 2000 Olympic Youth Camp. 22 Once on site, McDonald's hon-
ored these outstanding young corporate citizens through an interna-
tional news event in their honor. McDonald's reached out to media to
help communicate the importance of supporting young people who sup-
port their communities with such good works.

Cause-Related Marketing: World Children's Day

On November 20, 2002, a worldwide fundraising effort involved Mc-
Donald's restaurants from New York to New Zealand in more than 100

Table 2.3 Examples of Corporate Social Initiatives for McDonald's

Socially

Responsible

Cause

Cause-Related

Corporate

Community

Business

Promotions

Marketing

Soeial Marketing

Philanthropy

Volunteering

Practices

Description

Supporting social

Donating a

Supporting

Making direct

Providing volunteer

Adapting and

causes through

percentage of

behavior change

contributions to a

services in the

conducting

promotions to

revenues to a

campaigns

charity or cause

community

discretionary

increase

specific cause

business

awareness,

based on

practices and

fundraising,

product sales

investments that

volunteers

support social

causes

Example

McDonald's

Ronald McDonald

McDonald's

sponsored the

earmarked $1

promotes timely

House offers places

provided

changed to

Olympic Youth

for children's

childhood

to stay for families

meals for

recycled-content

Camp program

causes from

immunizations

with seriously ill

professionals and

packaging and

held in 2000 in

the sale of Big

children

volunteers at

reduced

Sydney, Australia

Macs and

September 11

packaging

other items on

disaster sites

materials

World

Children's

Day,

November 20,
2002

40 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

countries worldwide (see Figure 2. 7). 23 All activities were intended to
raise funds and awareness for Ronald McDonald House Charities and
other local children's causes. 24

Promotional messages promised that at every participating McDon-
ald's restaurant, a donation would be made to children's charities based
on sales of specific items. In the United States, for example, a donation
of $ 1 was made to children's charities for every Big Mac, Egg McMuffin,
Happy Meal, and Mighty Kids Meal sold. This offer was publicized via all
major communication vehicles, including the Internet, e-mail, televi-
sion, radio, and point-of-purchase in restaurants.

Additional activities included special events around the globe on
November 20, with a launch in the New York Times Square McDonald's
Restaurant, where famous celebrities and athletes performed the "World
Children's Day" song and worked behind counters, and a concert was
given with celebrities including Celine Dion. 25

More than $12 million was raised in 24 hours, and sales increases
varied from 5 percent in some countries to as much as 300 percent in
others. These results did not go without challenges. Managers involved
in the event coordination reported unique issues, including finding an
appropriate date and managing 100-plus countries with varying fundrais-
ing laws and cultures.

Figure 2.7 McDonald's logos used to promote World Children's Day.
(Used with permission from McDonald's Corporation.)

McDonald's Corporation

Social Marketing: Immunize for Healthy Lives®

Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, chicken pox, polio, and he-
patitis B are still a threat to children, according to the American Acad-
emy of Pediatrics (AAP), so it's important to immunize children on
time. To help children and families, Ronald McDonald House Charities
has teamed up with the AAP and health care providers around the
United States on "Immunize for Healthy Lives," an immunization educa-
tion program in existence since 1994-

August is the back-to-school vaccination time period, when most par-
ents take their school-aged children to be immunized before returning to
the classroom. But health professionals also recommend that vaccinations
begin at infancy to protect against meningitis and pneumonia. By age two,
children can be protected from more than 1 1 preventable diseases.

Ronald McDonald House Charities is committed to the health and
well-being of children and families. By working with health care providers
around the country, the "Immunize for Healthy Lives" program educates
parents on the importance of timely immunizations so they can help their
children stay healthy. Figure 2.8 shows a tray liner created for use in Mc-
Donald's restaurants to provide parents with helpful information.

Local communities around the United States have taken on special
activities to promote the "Immunize for Healthy Lives" campaign:

• In North Carolina, immunization schedules are distributed through
nearly 300 McDonald's restaurants throughout the state, with the
campaign reaching up to 13 million customers in a month.

• In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Health Department nurses visit par-
ticipating McDonald's restaurants to review children's immuniza-
tion records. Nurses also give free McDonald's coupons for ice
cream to parents asking, "Do my kids need shots?"

Corporate Philanthropy: Ronald McDonald House Charities

The relationship between McDonald's Corporation and Ronald Mc-
Donald House Charities and its programs dates back to the inception
of the charitable organization. Today, one can find support and partici-
pation from McDonald's Corporation, its franchisees, crew members,
suppliers, and business partners at every level of the charity's activity —
United States, international, corporate, regional, and local. Members

42 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

Figure 2.8 McDonald's tray liner encouraging timely immunizations
for children. (Used with permission from McDonald's Corporation.)

of the McDonald's family serve as volunteers on the boards and com-
mittees of the local chapters, working alongside other members of their
community. Together they tackle the challenges of operating a public
charity — raising necessary funds and awareness and delivering program
services to children and their families.

Ronald McDonald House Charities creates, finds, and supports pro-
grams that directly improve the health and well-being of children world-
wide. It is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization with more than 181 local
chapters currently operating in 48 countries. Each local Ronald McDon-
ald House Charities chapter is a separate public charity, operated by a lo-
cal board of directors.

The cornerstone of Ronald McDonald House Charities is the
Ronald McDonald House program, which provides a home away from
home for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment at hospi-
tals far from their own homes. The first Ronald McDonald House was es-

McDonald's Corporation

tablished in Philadelphia in 1974- Today, there are more than 235
Ronald McDonald Houses in more than 25 countries (see Figure 2.9).

In addition to its cornerstone program, Ronald McDonald House
Charities supports a variety of other programs, which include Ronald
McDonald Family Rooms, Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles, and schol-
arships. The charity also awards grants to other organizations that di-
rectly improve the health and well-being of children. To date, Ronald
McDonald House Charities' national body and global network of local
chapters have awarded more than $400 million in grants to children's
programs worldwide.

Community Volunteering: Disaster Relief

McDonald's, working through owner/operators, employees, and suppli-
ers, has a longtime record of helping communities hit by tornadoes,

Figure 2.9 Ronald McDonald House programs provide a home away
from home for families of seriously ill children. (Used with permission
from McDonald's Corporation.)

44 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, riots, or other disasters. McDonald's
has partnered with American Red Cross and its International Red
Cross network to provide food and other support to disaster victims,
meals for the professionals and volunteers on the scene to aid them,
and a haven of safety for others in the community. 26

On 9/11 and in the weeks that followed, McDonald's provided more
than 750,000 free meals around the clock at McDonald's mobile restau-
rants set up near the disaster sites in New York City, at the Pentagon,
and in Pennsylvania (see Figure 2.10). At each location, 45-foot'long
portable units served McDonald's Quarter Pounders, Chicken Mc-
Nuggets, bottled water, and soft drinks to feed recovery workforces. 27

Socially Responsible Business Practices: Recycling

Several activities represent a commitment to progress in reducing pack-
aging volume and adding recycled content:

• In the early 1990s, in most parts of the world, McDonald's
changed its carryout bags from bleached, 100 percent virgin paper

Figure 2.10 McDonald's provided free meals near 9/11 disaster sites in
New York City. (Used with permission from McDonald's Corporation.)

McDonald's Corporation

fiber to unbleached, recycled content. During that same period,
McDonald's purchased more than $4 billion worth of products
made from recycled materials for use in the construction and op-
eration of restaurants worldwide. McDonald's USA recently
switched to a 40 percent recycled-content white bag, while mak-
ing other packaging changes to offset the increased environmen-
tal impact.

• In 2002, McDonald's purchased more than $460 million in recy-
cled packaging materials and reduced its packaging materials by
an additional 35 million pounds (see Figure 2.11).

Although a process is in place to work with suppliers to find ways to
streamline packaging and minimize use of resources, broad-based solu-
tions are challenged by differences around the world in safe food require-
ments, local supplier availability, cultural differences, waste management
practices, and infrastructure. 28

To support McDonald's goal of sustainability, a Global Environ-
mental Council (GEC) was formed in 2002 to identify global priorities,

Figure 2.1 1 In 2002, McDonald's reduced packaging materials by 35
million pounds. (Used with permission from McDonald's Corporation.)

46 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

initiatives, and projects. It reports to the Social Responsibility Steering
Committee established by the board of directors. 29

SUMMARY

Most corporate social initiatives under the corporate social responsibil-
ity umbrella fall within one of the following distinct categories: cause
promotions, cause-related marketing, corporate social marketing, corpo-
rate philanthropy, community volunteering, and socially responsible
business practices.

Though there are commonalities among these initiatives (i.e., simi-
lar causes they are supporting, partnerships that are formed, and commu-
nication channels that are used), each has a characteristic that makes it
distinct. Cause promotions are distinguished by the fact that they are
supporting a cause by increasing community awareness and contribu-
tions to the cause. Cause-related marketing is unique in that donations
to a cause are tied to the corporation's product sales volume. Corporate
social marketing is always focused on a goal of influencing a behavior
change. Community volunteering involves employee and related fran-
chise and retail partners' donation of their time in support of a local
cause. Corporate philanthropy entails writing a check or making a di-
rect, in-kind contribution of corporate services and resources. And cor-
porate socially responsible business practices, as implied, relate to the
adoption of discretionary business practices and investments that then
contribute to improved environmental and community well-being.

Why is it important to develop these distinctions? As with most dis-
ciplines, awareness and familiarity with tools in the toolbox increases the
chances they will be considered and then used. As noted in Chapter 1,
traditional corporate giving and citizenship focused primarily on one of
these initiatives, philanthropy. As we have seen in the examples pre-
sented in this chapter, a more strategic and disciplined approach in-
volves selecting an issue for focus and then considering each of the six
potential options for contributing to the cause.

Based on the in-depth examples for Washington Mutual, Dell, and
McDonald's, a few observations are noteworthy at this point:

• A corporate theme for social responsibility can be expressed in all
six of the initiatives. Washington Mutual's K-12 education focus

Summary

is reflected in each of the initiatives described. Based on reviews
of many corporate social responsibility programs, this model can
be very effective for connecting the corporation to a cause, as will
be described in Chapter 9 concerning best practices. It is, how-
ever, currently quite unusual.

• It is more common for a corporation to have several themes, and
for themes to be reflected by only a few initiatives. Examples pre-
sented for McDonald's covered several themes: children's health,
children and families with special needs, disaster relief, and envi-
ronmental stewardship.

• One campaign may integrate several initiatives. For example,
Starbucks has a program called "Starbucks Make Your Mark" that
recruits volunteers for assistance with local community and non-
profit projects such as cleanup of trails and parks. This campaign
has an element of cause promotion (i.e., recruiting customers in
their stores to sign up for projects by visiting Starbucks.com). It
also has an element of cause-related marketing, as it promises to
make a contribution to the nonprofit sponsor based on the num-
ber of volunteer hours given to the project. And it has a commu-
nity volunteer component, as staff in the Starbucks partner stores
are also encouraged to show up for the event.

Finally, it is useful to note other terms that are used to label these
initiatives, to underscore the distinctions. Cause promotions may be
most similar to programs sometimes described as cause marketing,
cause sponsorships, cause advertising, co-branding, or corporate spon-
sorships. Cause-related marketing is included by some when describ-
ing cause marketing or co-branding programs. Corporate social
marketing may be considered a subset of cause marketing. Corporate
philanthropy may be expressed as corporate giving, community giving,
community development, community involvement, corporate social
investing, or community outreach. Community volunteering is often
covered when referring to community service, community develop-
ment, community relations, community involvement, community
outreach, community partnerships, and corporate citizenship pro-
grams. And the term socially responsible business practices is for some
synonymous with corporate social responsibility, corporate citizenship,
and corporate commitment.

48 Corporate Social Initiatives: Six Options for Doing Good

As noted earlier, the delineation of these distinct subcategories may
help increase consideration of these initiatives and may make under-
standing and application of the keys to success for a particular initiative
more likely. The following six chapters outline each initiative's unique
and recommended circumstances for consideration and keys for success-
ful development and implementation.

CHAPTER

Corporate
Cause Promotions:
Increasing Awareness and
Concern for Social Causes

We're all in it together. We're an eclectic collective of environmental ad-
vocates along with some innovative ice cream and music makers , working
in concert to tackle the man-made problem of global warming.'

— Introduction to the "One Sweet Whirled"
campaign created by Ben & Jerry's,
SaveOurEnvironment.org, and the
Dave Matthews Band

In a cause promotion a corporation provides funds, in-kind contribu-
tions, or other corporate resources to increase awareness and concern
about a social cause or to support fundraising, participation, or volun-
teer recruitment for a cause.

Persuasive communications are the major focus for this initiative, with
an intention to create awareness and concern relative to a social issue

Corporate Cause Promotions

and/or to persuade potential donors and volunteers to contribute to the
cause or participate in activities to support the cause. Successful cam-
paigns utilize effective communication principles, developing motivating
messages, creating persuasive executional elements, and selecting effi-
cient and effective media channels. Campaign plans are based on clear
definitions of target audiences, communication objectives and goals,
support for promised benefits, opportune communication channels, and
desired positioning.

Cause promotion is distinguished from other corporate social initia-
tives primarily by the emphasis on promotional strategies.

• It differs from cause-related marketing in that contributions and
support are not tied to company sales of specified products.

• It differs from social marketing in that the focus is not on influ-
encing individual behavior change. Although cause promotion
campaigns have calls to action, they are most commonly in the ar-
eas of contributing, such as by donating money or time or by sign-
ing petitions.

• It differs from philanthropy in that it involves more from the
company than simply writing a check, as promotional campaigns
will most often require involvement in the development and dis-
tribution of materials and participation in public relations activi-
ties, and will include visibility for the corporation's sponsorship.

• Although a cause promotion may include employee volunteerism,
it goes beyond this to participating as well in the development
and implementation of promotional materials.

• It differs from socially responsible business practices in that the fo-
cus is primarily on external communications, as opposed to inter-
nal operations, and the target audiences for the promotions are
primarily outside the organization.

Historically, cause promotion has been a common form of corporate
giving, along with philanthropy and employee volunteerism. It has in-
volved everything from putting company logos on special events and
advertisements for causes to contributing retail store space for promo-
tional materials.

Most commonly, corporations are approached to contribute to a

Typical Cause Promotions

cause promotion being developed by a nonprofit organization or consor-
tium of agencies. In some cases, the corporation decides to support a so-
cial cause and then reaches out to partner with organizations in the
community associated with the cause. In a few cases, the corporation
may go it alone, developing and managing the campaign internally.

TYPICAL CAUSE PROMOTIONS

Corporate cause promotions most commonly focus on the following
communication objectives. Examples of each will be explored in the re-
mainder of this chapter.

• Building awareness and concern about a cause by presenting motivat-
ing statistics and facts, such as publicizing the number of children
who go to sleep hungry in America each night or the number of
dogs that are euthanized each year; by sharing real stories of people
or organizations in need or who have been helped by the cause,
such as one about a middle-aged man in a developing country who
gets much-needed eyeglasses for the first time in his life, or a local
hospital reporting they don't have the number of critical nurses
they need to serve their community; or by presenting educational
information, such as a brochure on warning signs for youth suicide.

• Persuading people to find out more about the cause by visiting a spe-
cial web site (e.g., one with information on nursing schools in the
nation) or by requesting an informational brochure or tool kit
(e.g., for tips on conducting a bake sale to raise money for food
banks in their community).

• Persuading people to donate their time to help those in need (e.g.,
employees in a retail store delivering eyeglasses, or citizens in a
community hosting a bake sale to benefit local charities).

• Persuading people to donate money that will benefit a cause (e.g.,
hosting a section of a corporate web site where visitors can donate
to animal welfare charities).

• Persuading people to donate nonmonetary resources, such as un-
wanted cell phones and used clothing (e.g., for women's shelters).

Corporate Cause Promotions

• Persuading people to participate in events, such as attending an art
show featuring minority professional photographers, participat-
ing in a fundraising walk, or signing a petition to ban animal
testing.

As outlined in Table 3.1, corporations participating in cause
promotions include manufacturers, retailers, service providers, and
many others. Issues supported are varied as well and include environ-
mental causes, hunger, housing, needs for health care and medical ser-
vices, human rights, animal welfare, education, medical research, and
diversity.

By their very nature, cause promotion activities have a common
theme of communications. They utilize publicity, printed materials, spe-
cial events, web sites, and advertising, featuring the logo and key mes-
sages of the company as well as those representing the cause. In
addition, however, cause promotion campaigns may also include em-
ployee involvement, messages on product labeling, and utilization of re-
tail shelf space.

Corporations most often partner with nonprofit organizations whose
mission is related to the cause, as well as media partners, professional as-
sociations, and special interest groups. Table 3.1 summarizes causes sup-
ported by 10 major corporations featured in this chapter.

POTENTIAL CORPORATE BENEFITS

Not surprisingly, many of the corporate benefits associated with cause
promotions are marketing related: strengthened brand positioning and
brand preference, increased traffic, and customer loyalty. In addition, fur-
ther benefits flow from providing customers and employees opportunities
and convenient ways to contribute to causes, and are created by forging
new and strong partnerships with community organizations.

Strengthens Brand Positioning

Notice in the following example from Ben 6k Jerry's the role that brand
position played in guiding the choice of a social issue, selecting an initia-
tive, and forming partnerships.

Table 3.1 Examples of Cause Promotion Initiatives

Corporation

Cause

Target Audiences

Sample Activities

Major Partners

Ben & Jerry's Global warming

Anyone who loves ice cream
and cares about the
environment

Current customers

New flavor of ice cream

Concert tour

Web site
Public Relations

Dave Matthews
Band

SaveOurEnvironment.org

PETsMART®

Animal adoption

Customers in stores
Potential dog and cat pet
owners

Raising money in stores and

on web site
Offering retail space for pet

adoption

PETsMART
Charities
Animal shelters

Aleve

Arthritis

People with arthritis
Those wanting to contribute
to the cause

Arthritis Walk promotion:
Printed materials
Publicity
Web site

T-shirts, banners, and booths
at event

Arthritis Foundation

British Airways Children in need Travelers on British Airways

around the world flights

Providing envelopes for

collecting change
Flight crew promotions
Web site

UNICEF

Wal-Mart

Children's
hospitals

Customers in stores

Employee promotions in
stores

Children's Miracle
Network

(Continued)

Table 3.1 (Continued)

Corporation

Cause

Target Audiences

Sample Activities

Major Partners

PARADE
magazine

Hunger

PARADE readers

Feature articles

"Great American Bake Sale"

fundraising event
Web site

Share Our Strength
Local food charities
ABC TV

Nordstrom

Diversity

Customers

Art show in select stores
Public relations

Professional black
photographers

The Body Shop

Animal testing for
cosmetics

Policy makers
Cosmetics industry
Customers

In-store signage
Printed materials
Badges
Petitions

Labeling on packages
Public relations
Web site

Animal rights and
advocacy groups

Johnson
est Johnson

Nursing shortages

High school students
College students
Counselors
Health care systems

Advertising
Recruitment materials
Special events
Public relations
Web site

Professional nursing

associations
Colleges and

universities
Health care systems

LensCrafters

Eyeglasses and
eye care for those
in need

People in North America and
developing countries in need
of eyeglasses and eye care

Eyeglass collection
Employee volunteerism
Printed materials

Lions Club
International

Web site

Potential Corporate Benefits

Example: Ben & Jerry's and Global Warming

Ben & Jerry's mission statement is consistent with the creative
approach taken in most of what they do. It has three parts, all
considered essential and equal by the company: product and eco-
nomic and social missions. Notice the words we have italicized
in the product and social mission statements that follow, lan-
guage that sets the stage for their brand positioning:

"Product Mission: to make, distribute and sell the finest qual-
ity, all natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions with a con-
tinued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural
ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the
Earth and the environment."

"Social Mission: to operate the company in a way that ac-
tively recognizes the central role that business plays in society
by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life lo-
cally, nationally, and internationally." 2

This positioning must have made the decision to support aware-
ness of global warming and to launch a cause promotion initia-
tive easy. In April 2002, Ben & Jerry's teamed up with the Dave
Matthews Band and SaveOurEnvironment.org to help fight
global warming. Together, they created the "One Sweet
Whirled" global warming campaign, intended to increase aware-
ness of the reality of the threats from global warming and to
learn more about what can be done. 3

Campaign elements include a new flavor of ice cream, One
Sweet Whirled (see Figure 3.1); a concert tour; a CD; a web site
with related links; and public relations efforts to increase aware-
ness and concern about global warming and to promote actions
that individuals can take to make a difference (a social market-
ing element of the campaign).

In 2002 alone, the campaign generated 53,236 pledges to reduce
carbon pollution, representing a potential reduction of
187,486,501 total pounds; 63,967 letters sent to Congress; and
12,570 new SaveOurEnvironment.org members.

Corporate Cause Promotions

Figure 3.1 Ben & Jerry's supports awareness of global warming with a
special ice cream flavor and more. (Reprinted courtesy of Ben 6k Jerry's.)

Builds Traffic and Customer Loyalty

In the following example, the corporation benefits from a creative and
natural donation of abundant resources — its store space — and the appeal
of abandoned and homeless pets.

Example: PETsMART® and Pet Adoption

PETsMART Charities® creates and supports programs that save
the lives of homeless pets (see Figure 3. 2). 4 They have a vision of
"a lifelong, loving home for EVERY pet." Several initiatives sup-
port this goal, including in-store adoption centers, in-store cam-
paigns to encourage customer donations, and online fundraising. 5

Potential Corporate Benefits

With more than four million homeless pets euthanized every
year, PETsMART, Inc. made the conscious decision not to sell
cats and dogs. Instead, the company created their in-store PETs-
MART Charities Adoption Centers, donating space to local an-
imal welfare organizations so they can make homeless pets more
visible and accessible to potential families. 6 PETsMART, Inc.
donates more than $5 million annually in space and supplies for
the adoption centers, and the charity works with more than
2,700 animal welfare organizations across North America. These
organizations keep 100 percent of their adoption fees and there
is no cost to them to use the in-store Centers.

The store and the PETsMART Charities also work together to
implement a biannual "Just A Buck, Change Their Luck"
fundraising campaign to help homeless pets. This event is held
for three weeks in the spring and again in the fall. Customers are
asked if they'd like to donate "just a buck" (or more) when they
make a purchase. Customers who donate $10 or more receive a
commemorative T-shirt. Those who donate $15 or more receive
a limited edition tote bag. All of the more than 650 stores na-
tionwide and in Canada participate in the campaign. Donations
can also be made online, where the T-shirts and tote bags are
also offered for donations of $15 and $20 respectively.

Between 1994 and 2003, this program has saved the lives of
more than 1.7 million homeless pets through the in-store adop-
tion areas alone, and continues to save lives today. Consider as
well the benefit to PETsMART in terms of the thousands, if not
millions, of customers exposed to the effort, and, for those
adopting a pet, their likelihood of returning to a PETsMART
store for food, needed supplies, and grooming services. 7

a Kites.

Figure 3.2 PETsMART provides space for in-store adoption centers
for homeless pets. (Printed with permission from PETsMART, Inc.)

Corporate Cause Promotions

Creates Brand Preference with Target Markets

Direct competitors of the Aleve brand might find this selection of an ini-
tiative and partnership enviable.

Example: Aleve and Arthritis Foundation

In 2002, Aleve began to market more stringently to consumers
with arthritis. In order to generate brand awareness among
these consumers, Aleve developed a partnership with the
Arthritis Foundation and became the National Presenting
Sponsor of the Arthritis Foundation's nationwide Arthritis
Walk event. This relationship has helped Aleve to dissemi-
nate its key messages of strength and efficacy to the more than
70 million Americans who have arthritis. Upon initial discus-
sions, Aleve and the Arthritis Foundation quickly realized
that they had the same goal at heart: to help consumers re-
lieve their arthritis pain and restore their mobility so they can
get back to doing the things they love to do. The sponsorship
of the Arthritis Walk and the partnership have provided bene-
fits to both Aleve and the Arthritis Foundation, a true win-
win proposition.

The 2003 Arthritis Walk, held in May in support of National
Arthritis Month, attracted 24,767 participants, with men,
women, and children with arthritis "leading the way wearing
special shirts and blue hero hats to show they are taking control
of their arthritis." 8 Aleve was able to further leverage this rela-
tionship by integrating the Aleve logo into the overall Arthritis
Walk logo appearing on all recruitment materials and promo-
tional materials, including TV ads, T-shirts, banners, and web
sites (see Figure 3.3).

In addition to sponsoring the Arthritis Walk, Aleve has been
able to incorporate this relationship into other elements of
the marketing mix. Aleve has worked with the foundation in
everything from advertising, where Aleve added a five-second
tag to their commercials during May to publicize the Arthritis
Walk, to packaging, where Aleve received the Arthritis Foun-

Potential Corporate Benefits

dation's Ease-of-Use Commendation for its Easy Open Arthri-
tis Cap bottles. Also, Aleve was able to utilize the relation-
ship in a cause-related marketing initiative. In 2003, Aleve
offered a copy of the Arthritis Foundation's Walk With Ease
book (an $11.95 value) for free when the consumer sent in a
proof-of-purchase seal from a package of Aleve Easy Open
Arthritis Cap.

Overall, Aleve's relationship with the Arthritis Foundation and
the full integration of that relationship into all elements of the
marketing mix has allowed Aleve to generate greater brand
awareness and establish its authority in arthritis pain relief. The
value of this relationship and the trust it has helped Aleve to es-
tablish with consumers is immeasurable.

The Arthritis Foundation has also greatly benefited from
this relationship by increasing awareness, increasing participa-
tion in the Arthritis Walk events, and driving consumers to
their 800 number and web site for helpful information on
arthritis.

Figure 3.3 Aleve increases awareness and participation in Arthritis
Walk events. (Reprinted courtesy of Arthritis Foundation.)

Corporate Cause Promotions

~J CHANGE
FOR
GOOD

• . /BRITISH AIRWAYS

iiklren around the world

Figure 3.4 British Airways provides an envelope to make it easy for
customers to donate onboard to UNICEF. (Reprinted courtesy of
British Airways.)

Provides Customers Convenient Ways to Contribute and Participate
in Causes

The corporate sponsor in the following example makes it easy for the
customer to say yes and perhaps even difficult to say no.

Example: British Airways and Change for Good

An estimated 16 million Americans travel to Europe each year,
and chances are they arrive home with foreign currency in their
pockets and purses. In 1994, British Airways began offering pro-
motional support to the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) by collecting currency from customers on board
British Airways flights.

Through this program called "Change for Good," passengers can
donate unwanted foreign coins and notes at any time during the
flight, using envelopes they find at their seat or by requesting
one from the cabin crew (see Figure 3.4). It is reported that
many of the crew members are enthusiastic enough about the
program to also make voluntary announcements during flights
and move through the cabins to collect the envelopes. British
Airways then works with UNICEF in decision making regarding
which countries will be recipients of donations. 9

Potential Corporate Benefits

The conversion to the euro by 12 European countries in 2002
created a new promotional opportunity for the partners, solv-
ing the problem of what to do with currencies no longer usable
in 12 European countries. 10 Promotional messages stressed
that UNICEF will still be able to convert these currencies. 11

By the year 2002, British Airways had raised over $31 million
(U. S. dollars) for UNICEF programs, helping with projects in
over 50 countries around the world. Funds raised by British Air-
ways represented an estimated half of the total amount raised by
UNICEF "Change for Good" programs, in part due to the fact
that this program runs year-round on all routes. 12

Provides Opportunities for Employees to Qet Involved
in Something They Care About

Imagine the following cause promotion, which raises money in retail
stores for local children's hospitals, if it were undertaken without the par-
ticipation and enthusiasm of employees. Consider, as well, that partici-
pation is voluntary and the enthusiasm apparently spontaneous.

Example: Wal-Mart and Children's Miracle Network

The Wal-Mart Foundation makes it clear in its mission state-
ment that its emphasis is on its associates, their children, fam-
ilies, and local community. Wal-Mart believes this grassroots
style of giving provides opportunities for its associates to iden-
tify and then support causes that will improve the quality of
life right in their own communities (see Figure 3.5). It further
explains that its priority funding areas include children. "Chil-
dren are the heart, soul, and future of any community, so we're
proud to be involved at the local level in programs that bene-
fit children. It is our fondest wish that each and every child
has the opportunity to lead a healthy, happy, and fulfilling
childhood." 13

Corporate sponsorship of Children's Miracle Network (CMN)
then is not surprising, and the direct involvement of associates is
apparently key to the more than $250 million raised for 170

Corporate Cause Promotions

children's hospitals since 1988. In 2002 alone, associates nation-
wide raised more than $34 million for CMN. 14

Children's Miracle Network says, "Wal-Mart associates love to
reach impossible goals, especially when it comes to helping
kids." For example, one store created a "crazy hat" campaign
where associates wore "goofy-looking hats," persuaded cus-
tomers to donate dollar bills, and then attached them to their
hats. In two months, this store raised $6,000 through crazy
hats alone. A store manager reported that they had fun com-
peting with each other, making comments such as, "I raised
one hundred and two dollars last Saturday with my crazy hat."
They are evidently engaging the customers as well; one associ-
ate overheard a customer shout, "That dollar on that hat is
mine!" 15

In 2002, Wal-Mart received the Ron Brown Award, the highest
Presidential Award recognizing achievement in employee rela-
tions and community initiatives.

Creates Partnerships

Any nonprofit organization or cause is fortunate when a strong media
partner joins the promotional effort. In the following example, it would
appear Parade magazine reaped the rewards as well.

WAL-MART ^

Figure 3.5 Logo used for Wal-Mart Foundation's community
involvement program. (Reprinted courtesy of Wal-Mart.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

Example: Parade Magazine and Hunger

In the spring of 2003, Parade magazine and Share Our Strength,
a leading antihunger organization, launched "The Great Ameri-
can Bake Sale," a cause promotion to raise awareness of child-
hood hunger in this country and funds for hunger relief. The
campaign, which launched in April 2003 and ran through July,
encouraged anyone and everyone across the country to host a
bake sale in their community and/or to buy items from a Great
American Bake Sale event. Proceeds were sent to Share Our
Strength, which granted 75 percent of the net funds to local
hunger-relief organizations in the states where the funds were
collected. The remaining funds were targeted for high-risk areas
and populations and for public policy advocacy. Sponsors in-
cluded ABC Television Network, Betty Crocker, Tyson Foods,
Inc., Reynolds Consumer Products, and numerous prominent
American chefs. 16

The event was launched with a cover story in Parade magazine,
which included the statistic that "Tonight 13 million children in
the United States may go to bed hungry." (See Figure 3.6.) As of
January 2004, Parade distributed by more than 335 Sunday news-
papers, has a circulation of 35.7 million and an estimated reader-
ship of more than 78 million. 17 Other activities to promote the
Great American Bake Sale included mention in select corporate
sponsors' advertising as well as on sponsor web sites. ABC inte-
grated the bake sale plot into an episode of its hit series Eight
Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The cast, including
the late John Ritter, appeared at bake sale events around the na-
tion and recorded public service announcements to further pro-
mote the program.

In their October 5, 2003, issue, Parade reported that the Great
American Bake Sale had raised $1.1 million to fight childhood
hunger in the Untied States. An estimated 375,000 people par-
ticipated by baking or buying goods. More than 500 companies
contributed resources. 18 The partners have already planned a re-
peat in 2004, adding additional elements, including a free kit for
to those who register to help plan and produce bake sales.

64 Corporate Cause Promotions

Figure 3.6 Parade magazine helps raise awareness and funds for hunger
relief. (Reprinted courtesy of Parade Publications.)

Strengthens Corporate Image

Nordstrom is well known for its customer service, and its commitment to
diversity is one factor that has contributed to this strong reputation.

Example: Nordstrom and Diversity

One of the main sections listed on Nordstrom's home page under
"About Nordstrom" — right up there with "Store Locations" and

Potential Corporate Benefits

"Investor Relations" — is "Diversity Affairs." A visit to this sec-
tion is reminiscent of many other corporations' entire corporate
social responsibility section, with separate write-ups on their
"Diversity Affairs Mission Statement," "Employment Statistics,"
"Minority Recruitment and Support," "Diversity in Advertis-
ing," "Supplier Diversity Program." "Community Service" is a
subset within this section.

An introduction in this section sets the background for an ap-
parently strong commitment: "There is something unique about
Nordstrom that goes beyond our merchandise, our stores, and
even our renowned services. It's our people. Our employees
make Nordstrom the nation's premier retailer — and diversity is a
key component of that winning combination. . . ." 19

A cause promotion hosted by Nordstrom in February 2003
and again in 2004 is representative of this value and commit-
ment. A press release announced that in celebration of Black
History Month, Nordstrom would be showcasing during the
month of February the work of African-American photogra-
phers in a premiere exhibit titled "Love Now," with works of
"photographers' interpretation of love in our times." The ex-
hibit was displayed in select Nordstrom stores and was consid-
ered "a public tribute to the art and talent of black
professional photographers."

It is also consistent with this commitment that Nordstrom "reg-
ularly advertises in both local and national minority publica-
tions including Essence, Minority Business News USA, Hispanic
Business, Hispanic, Catalina, Minority Business Entrepreneur, Black
Enterprise and Ability magazine. In its mainstream advertising,
Nordstrom has long been committed to featuring models of color
and models with disabilities in at least one-third of its advertise-
ments." 20 (See Figure 3.7.)

Since 1993, Nordstrom has been named by Hispanic magazine as
one of the 100 best companies offering employment opportuni-
ties for Hispanics. In 2003, Fortune magazine named Nordstrom
to its "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" list, for the
seventh year in a row. Fortune magazine also named Nordstrom
to its "Best Companies for Minorities" list four out of the five

Corporate Cause Promotions

years since it began the list. Asian Enterprise magazine selected
Nordstrom as one of the "Best Companies for Asian Pacific
Americans."

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

As with most campaigns and programs that are promotional in nature,
several potential downsides for the corporation should be kept in mind
during the decision-making and planning process.

Visibility for the corporation can get lost. Most managers considering
major sponsorship of a social issue are interested in ensuring visibility for

\sbwdownt enjoj

'i' 1 »■■ "> I--" ] NORDSTROM

Figure 3.7 Nordstrom's advertising represents their corporate
commitment to diversity. (Reprinted courtesy of Nordstrom. )

Potential Concerns

their company on promotional materials in return for the investment of
corporate resources, often funded by the marketing department. One
could argue that otherwise, it is a philanthropic initiative ("just writing a
check")- Many would consider the placement of Aleve's logo on the
Arthritis Walk materials an ideal model. This strategy, a co-branding ap-
proach, positions the company as a partner in the cause. Contrast this
with the perceived commitment of an organization that is in a lineup of
three to five corporate logos across the bottom of promotional materials.

Most promotional materials are not sustainable. Brochures, fliers,
public service announcements, news articles, special events, even an-
other T-shirt, water bottle, or baseball cap can be here today and gone
tomorrow. Managers are encouraged to consider a sustainable compo-
nent in the campaign, one such as the new flavor of ice cream developed
by Ben & Jerry's, an element that provides campaign messaging opportu-
nities as well.

Tracking total investments and return on promotional investments is
especially difficult. Many report that not only is it difficult to track re-
sults for the company from the promotional effort, it is also difficult to
track the actual expenditure of corporate resources, especially nonmone-
tary contributions (e.g., employee time, retail store space). As stated
early in the chapter, the intention of a cause promotion is often just to
increase awareness and concern regarding a cause, frequently without a
call to action. This is harder and more expensive to measure than
changes in behavior or redemption of coupons, for example, which can
be accomplished through internal tracking systems. Changes in aware-
ness and levels of concern typically require more quantitative research,
adding to the costs of the effort. How, for example, would Nordstrom
track the benefit of the art show to the organization (or to the cause, for
that matter) 1

You may get swamped with requests for contributions from other
organizations connected to the cause. As you will read in the next
section on Johnson & Johnson's Campaign for Nursing's Future, this
highly visible campaign that was focused on nurse recruitment and re-
tention generated inquiries from numerous related organizations. Re-
sponding to requests then adds even more to the expenditure of effort
and time.

Corporate Cause Promotions

This approach requires more time and involvement than writing a
check. PETsMART, for example, spends time and effort coordinating
and supporting its in-store adoption programs, hosting sections of its cor-
porate web site for donations from the general public, and collecting do-
nations at checkout stands.

Promotions are often easy to replicate, removing any competitive ad-
vantage. As will be described in the next section, The Body Shop has
been advocating against animal testing for cosmetics for more than 10
years. There are few entry barriers for other cosmetic brands to also take
"no animal testing" positions, even though it may be with lower levels of
commitment. The consumer, however, has a hard time discriminating
between claims.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

The following three cases offer perspectives from managers at The Body
Shop, Johnson 6k Johnson, and LensCrafters in terms of keys to success-
ful cause promotion initiatives. Their common themes reflect recom-
mendations to carefully select an issue (up front) that can be tied to a
business's products and company values. They say it should be a cause
that management can commit to long-term, is a concern for customers
and target markets, motivates employees, and has the most chance for
media exposure. When developing cause promotion plans, take care to
develop strong partnerships, incorporate and ensure visibility for your
brand, and figure out a way to measure and track results.

The Body Shop "Against Animal Testing" Initiative

The Body Shop opened its first store in 1976 and is now a well-respected
international retailer offering high-quality skin and body care products
in 50 countries around the world through more than 1,900 outlets. The
company is known by many for its values-driven business practices and
cause promotion campaigns, including ones against animal testing
within the cosmetics and toiletries industry. The following perspective
from their head of communications and campaigns highlights the impor-
tance of a long-term commitment and a willingness to stay the course in
order for a campaign to achieve a win-win result.

Keys to Success

In 1990, The Body Shop launched the first in a series of public aware-
ness campaigns against animal testing (AAT) in the cosmetic industry.
We elected to campaign on this issue for a number of reasons: It was
core to our beliefs as a business that animal testing was unacceptable
in order to create a new cosmetic or toiletry product or ingredient; the
issue was highly relevant to both our industry and the consumer; and it
was an issue on which we could realistically make a difference. It was
estimated in 2002 that over 35,000 animals were used in cosmetics
tests every year throughout the European Union alone. 21

This campaign was originally managed by Corporate Communi-
cations and subsequently by the Values and Vision Department,
working in partnership across the globe with campaign partners from
the animal welfare movement. A particular emphasis was placed on
the United Kingdom and European Union, with a focus on amend-
ing proposed legislation relating to the sale and marketing of cosmet-
ics in order to bring about a cosmetic animal test ban.

Funding for this campaign is provided from our Communica-
tions and Values departments, our franchisee network, and our char-
itable Foundation.

Promotional vehicles have included in-store and out-of-store
communications and campaign materials, with considerable use of
Anita Roddick in the early years, as a business leader calling on the
cosmetic industry to take action to end animal testing. In-store cam-
paigns included window posters, leaflets, the sale of badges and bags,
and the collection of signatures on a campaign petition, promoted
through our stores and by partner animal welfare groups to their sup-
porters. Product labels state clearly that we are 'Against Animal
Testing" (see Figure 3.8) and in terms of business practices, we were

AGAINST

ANIMAL
TESTING

Figure 3.8 The Body Shop's logo used for advocacy efforts. (Reprinted
courtesy of The Body Shop.)

Corporate Cause Promotions

the first cosmetic company to have supplier-monitoring systems in-
dependently audited and certified.

In terms of outcomes, we are proud to have helped reduce
and to bring an end to cosmetic animal testing in countries such
as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and to have played a
significant role in the European Union agreeing to a test ban that
is due to come into force in 2009. In November 1996, The Body
Shop presented the European Union (EU) the largest petition
against animal testing in history — signed by over four million peo-
ple calling on the EU to honor a commitment to stop the testing
and sale of animal-tested cosmetic products. In November 2002,
The Body Shop welcomed the news that Europe will ban cosmet-
ics animal testing, due to come into force in stages over the next
few years.

As a result, The Body Shop is closely aligned with the issue of no
animal testing for cosmetic purposes wherever you go in the world.
The issue and the campaign have contributed to generating signifi-
cant media coverage for The Body Shop and our ethics. In 1998, a
survey of international chief executives that was reported in the Fi-
nancial Times ranked The Body Shop the 27th most respected com-
pany in the world. And we were the first international cosmetics
retailer to be endorsed by leading animal protection groups under
their Humane Cosmetic Standard.

We offer others the following thoughts when aligning with a so-
cial issue and developing campaign plans:

• Select an issue that is extremely engaging for your customers
and relevant to your industry and your products.

• Choose initiatives that align with your company mission and
business objectives, so that they are not seen to be peripheral
by your internal and external publics.

• Take on causes that will be motivating for your employees,
recognizing that they will enjoy the opportunity to go beyond
retailing to making a real difference on social issues.

• Select issues that have the most chance to become main-
stream, ones that are "winnable" enough to be popular with
the media, public, and politicians but controversial enough to
generate debate.

Keys to Success

• Once selected, commit wholeheartedly. Avoid short-term so-
lutions, promises you can't fulfill, and ensure this is not
viewed simply as a marketing exercise.

• Recognize that you will be expected to demonstrate your
commitments in your own corporate behavior, policies, and
practices.

• Develop campaign goals with tangible outcomes that demon-
strate sustainable solutions, ones that provide the best return
for business and society.

• Ensure that key stakeholders are engaged in your social initia-
tives. Be clear about the level of commitment to a particular
initiative, effectively manage expectations of all relevant
stakeholders, and remember to communicate campaign suc-
cesses with them and acknowledge their role in helping to
bring about change. 22

Johnson & Johnson's "Campaign for Nursing's Future" Initiative

In 1943, Robert Wood Johnson wrote a credo for the company, a one-
page document that outlined responsibilities to customers, employees,
the community, and shareholders. Fulfillment of that credo is evident in
the following description of their "Campaign for Nursing's Future." Pro-
vided by the executive director for the campaign, this summary high-
lights key components of this cause promotion initiative and measurable
outcomes for their effort.

Johnson 6k Johnson has a long history of working with nurses. In fact,
the first line of our credo says, "We believe our first responsibility is to
the doctors, nurses, and patients, to mothers and fathers and all oth-
ers who use our products and services." Recognizing that our country
was experiencing the most severe nursing shortage in our history, we
launched the Johnson 6k Johnson "Campaign for Nursing's Future" in
February 2002, a multiyear, nationwide effort to enhance the image of
the nursing profession, recruit new nurses, and retain nurses currently
in the system (see Figure 3.9). We knew we had the marketing skills
to make a difference. When we created this program, which is man-
aged by a corporate marketing executive, we made a commitment to
invest at least $25 million towards this campaign.

Corporate Cause Promotions

Figure 3.9 Johnson & Johnson's logo used for a multimedia campaign
to support the nursing profession. (Reprinted courtesy of Johnson 6k
Johnson.)

Campaign elements have included a national television, print, and
interactive advertising campaign in English and Spanish, celebrating
nursing professionals and their contributions to health care; a very
visible public relations component with press releases, video news re-
leases, and satellite radio tours, available to hundreds of media out-
lets across the country; recruitment materials including brochures,
pins, posters, and videos, also in English and Spanish, distributed
free of charge to hospitals, high schools, nursing schools, and nursing
organizations; fundraising for student scholarships, faculty fellow-
ships, and grants to nursing schools to expand their program capac-
ity; celebrations at regional nursing events to excite and empower the
local nursing community; a web site (www.discovernursing.com)
about the benefits of a nursing career, featuring searchable links to
hundreds of nursing scholarships and more than 1,000 accredited
nursing educational programs; and activities to create and fund reten-
tion programs designed to improve the nursing work environment.

In terms of outcome for the cause, a Harris Poll in October 2002
reported that 46 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds recalled the advertis-
ing; 62 percent had discussed a nursing career for themselves or a
friend; and among this group 24 percent said the commercials were a
factor in their consideration. The discovernursing.com web site traffic
tallied 800,000 unique visitors, who spent an average of 15 minutes

Keys to Success

exploring the site. As of April 2003, the site has had more than nine
million page views. Surveys showed that recruitment materials were
being used by 97 percent of high schools and 73 percent of nursing
schools. More important, 84 percent of nursing schools that received
the materials reported an increase in applications/enrollment for the
fall 2003 semester. Overall, the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing reported that baccalaureate nursing school enrollments were
up 8 percent. 23 In 2002, when the National Research Center for Col-
lege and University Admissions surveyed over a million college-bound
students, nursing and related careers ranked ninth among all profes-
sions. This year (2003) nursing has moved into fourth place! More
than 90,000 students ranked nursing as their first choice.

We are especially pleased with the response, acknowledgment,
and support of nurses and health care organizations around the
world. Through the Johnson & Johnson Internet site alone, we have
received more than 1,700 messages — the largest response to any sin-
gle topic received by the web site. This is especially significant when
you consider that the call to action in the commercials is for discov-
ernursing.com and not Johnson 6k Johnson's web site. Many of the
messages have come from nurses to thank us for recognizing and
telling others about the importance of their profession. We continue
to receive thousands of e-mails and letters every month. And we
have been honored by numerous organizations, including American
Organization of Nurse Executives, National Student Nurses Associa-
tion, American Nurses Association, and NurseWeek.

We think these successes can be attributed to several fundamen-
tal strategies:

• We chose an issue that mattered to our key publics, one of
concern for leaders in the industry we serve as well as for our
customers and the community at large.

• We chose an issue consistent with our credo.

• We developed relationships with others to support the cam-
paign, organizations including health care systems, nursing
schools, and professional associations around the country, or-
ganizations important to our core business strategy as well.

• We used a multimedia strategy with consistent messages in
broadcast, print, publicity, special events, printed materials,
videos, and on our web site.

Corporate Cause Promotions

And we want to acknowledge (and pass on) our challenges. It has
been time-consuming dealing with the volume of requests we receive
for funding from a variety of nursing constituencies who see the cam-
paign and assume (perhaps) that Johnson 6k Johnson has unlimited
resources. It is difficult to disappoint them. We also underestimated
the amount of time and resources it would take to manage an initia-
tive of this complexity, as we have only two full-time employees
working on this campaign. 24

LensCrafters' "Qive the Qift of Sight" Initiative

Established in 1988, "Give the Gift of Sight" is a family of charitable vi-
sion care programs providing free eye care and glasses to people in need
in North American communities and in developing countries. All Gift
of Sight programs are sponsored by Luxottica Retail (LensCrafters' par-
ent company) and LensCrafters Foundation, in partnership with Lions
Clubs International and other charities throughout North America.

Two of these programs exemplify cause promotion initiatives. Their
"Give New Life to Your Old Glasses" campaign encourages customers to
donate their used glasses to those in need. Promotional materials (print
and web site) ask customers to "Please help us continue our international
missions by donating your old eyeglasses and sunglasses. Often the glasses
people receive on our missions are the only glasses they will ever re-
ceive." (See Figure 3.10 for a sample brochure.) Since 1988, 1,160,000
pairs of glasses have been collected, recycled, and hand-delivered on in-
ternational missions. In addition, they also encourage and accept cash
donations to their Gift of Sight programs through their 501(c)(3)
LensCrafters Foundation, online or through the mail, stressing the fact
that LensCrafters Inc. covers more than 90 percent of LensCrafters
Foundation overhead, so donations go directly to deliver glasses to needy
people. 25

The vice president of the LensCrafters Foundation offers the follow-
ing perspective on the real key to success of the Gift of Sight program,
and the true value and benefit to the company.

Gift of Sight (GOS) requires the direct participation of LensCrafters
employees. Because each person's eyeglass prescription and fit is
unique, glasses must be hand-delivered by trained volunteers, captur-
ing the energy and expertise of our people. This is what makes this

Keys to Success

Your old
eyeglasses are
a treasure!

Give
the Gift
Of§ight

LensCrafters*
Lions Clubs

Figure 3.10 Brochure used to promote donation of used glasses to
those in need. (Reprinted courtesy of LensCrafters.)

Corporate Cause Promotions

program unique. A majority of LensCrafters' 18,000 employees par-
ticipate in GOS in one form or another (assisting recipients in our
stores, on our two Vision Vans, in community outreach programs,
and on international optical missions to developing countries).
Through GOS, our employees develop an emotional alignment with
our company that's crucial to our competitive context.

LensCrafters has chosen to differentiate itself from optical com-
petitors with similar products through superior service. While we
created GOS for its social benefits, we maintain and grow it because
it helps us build a service'minded culture. Employees involved in GOS
feel proud of the company and remain with it longer. We continue to
expand GOS programs because we're convinced they provide terrific
teambuilding and leadership training opportunities. What better
way to teach teamwork, flexibility, creativity, and the power of a pos-
itive attitude than to take 25 like-minded adults to a developing
country for two weeks and challenge them to deliver exams and re-
cycled glasses to 25,000 local people — knowing they will face elec-
trical outages, equipment held up in customs, unfamiliar food, and
strange accommodations. On 86 missions to 25 developing countries
our teams have figured out how to work together to overcome obsta-
cles. This learning is transferable to their stores and their lives. What
better way to teach diversity than to challenge every store and home
office department to partner up with local schools, senior centers,
nursing homes, and shelters to help deliver free eye care to more
than 500,000 people annually.

For LensCrafters, building more dedicated employees is a com-
petitive benefit. Through GOS, we give a higher level of meaning to
our jobs so that no employee ever feels he or she is "just selling
glasses." Delivering glasses to someone who's never seen clearly be-
fore brings an immediate improvement. It's a magical moment, re-
sulting in tears, hugs, and kisses, that opens the eyes of our
employees as surely as those of our recipients. Gift of Sight is one of
the reasons LensCrafters was rated by Fortune as one of the "100 Best
Places to Work in America" for five consecutive years.

We created LensCrafters Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public operat-
ing charity, in order to conduct fundraising activities with our suppli-
ers, employees, and local foundations. We raise about $1 million in
cash (35 percent from employees) and $2 million in goods annually
to supplement LensCrafters' commitment of overhead and staff (12

When Should a Corporate Cause Promotion Be Considered? 7 7

full-time people plus access to the expertise of every single store and
department).

In summary, principles that worked for us and may work for oth-
ers include the following recommendations:

• Focus your community service on your product.

• Involve employees in hands-on giving.

• Push program ownership to the local level.

• Brand the program with a strong, single identity.

• Forge partnerships.

• Set, communicate, and track program goals.

WHEN SHOULD A CORPORATE CAUSE
PROMOTION INITIATIVE BE CONSIDERED?

Assuming that a cause has been selected that the organization wants to
support, the following circumstances should lead to considering a cause
promotion initiative to support the cause, either in addition to other ini-
tiatives or in preference to other initiatives:

• When a company has easy access to the target markets, as did
British Airways for Change for Good, PETsMART for animal
adoption, and PARADE magazine for generating interest in bake
sales.

• When the cause can be connected and sustained by a company's
products, as with The Body Shop's product labeling and Ben 6k
Jerry's new flavor and packaging.

• When the opportunity exists to contribute underutilized in-kind
services, such as in-house printing or corporate expertise, as evi-
denced by Johnson 6k Johnson's contribution of marketing exper-
tise to the "Campaign for Nursing's Future."

• When employee involvement will support the cause and employ-
ees get excited, as they were at Wal-Mart in support of Children's
Miracle Network and at LensCrafters in delivering eyeglasses and
eye care to those in need.

• When a company wants to limit its involvement and commitment
to raising awareness and concern, versus the often more difficult

Corporate Cause Promotions

effort of changing behaviors, handling and fulfilling calls to action,
and creating infrastructures to support these efforts.

• When there is a co-branding opportunity, as there was for Aleve
with the Arthritis Foundation, where promotional materials will
support the cause and the brand with target audiences.

DEVELOPING A CAUSE PROMOTION CAMPAIGN PLAN

Perhaps the most important decision to be made once a social issue has
been identified and a cause promotion initiative has been selected is to
confirm whether the campaign will include partners and, if so, to iden-
tify them. Campaign plans should then be developed together, up-front,
as they will include critical decisions on target audiences, key messages,
campaign elements, and key media channels.

One of the most effective ways to make these decisions is to develop
a document that will provide direction for developing messages, design-
ing campaign elements, and selecting media channels. A useful tool is a
creative brief, typically one to two pages in length. It will help ensure
that all team members, including external partners, are in agreement on
target audiences, communication objectives, and key assumptions, prior
to the more costly development and production of communication ma-
terials. Typically, a creative brief to support the development of a promo-
tional campaign includes the following six sections:

1. Target audience. This section includes a brief description of the
target audience, including estimated size, demographics, geo-
graphies, psychographics, and behavior variables.

2. Communication objectives. This is a statement of what we want our
target audience to know (facts, information), believe (feel), and
perhaps do (e.g., donate or volunteer for a cause), based on expo-
sure to our communications.

3. What benefits to promise. This is the identification of key factors
that will motivate target audiences to participate in volunteer ef-
forts or to make donations — in other words.benefits they will ex-
perience by taking these steps.

4. Openings. Michael Siegel and Lynne Doner describe openings as
"the times, places, and situations when the audience will be most

Summary

attentive to, and able to act on, the message." 26 This information
will be key for determining media channels.

5. Positioning and requirements. This section describes the overall de-
sired tone for the campaign (e.g., serious versus lighthearted), as
well as requirements such as the use of corporate logos.

6. Campaign goals. This is an important section to consider in select-
ing media channels, as it outlines quantifiable goals for the cam-
paign. These may include process goals (e.g., desired reach and
frequency goals) or actual outcome goals (e.g., number of people
to sign up for the race).

This document will then lead to development of campaign elements in-
cluding slogans, headlines, and copy; graphic images; materials; selection
of media channels; evaluation plans; budgets; and implementation plans,
including responsibilities and target dates for campaign activities.

SUMMARY

A corporate social initiative is categorized as a cause promotion when
the core element of the effort is promotional in nature. Primary strate-
gies utilized are persuasive communications. Communication objectives
focus on building awareness and concern; persuading people to find out
more; persuading people to donate their time, money, or nonmonetary
resources to a cause; and/or persuading people to participate in events to
benefit a cause. Most commonly, corporations partner with nonprofit
organizations and special interest groups, although a few initiate and
implement campaigns on their own. In many cases, the corporation is
given visibility on promotional materials and in the media in exchange
for its support.

Most corporate benefits are marketing related, with advocates as-
serting that a cause promotion can strengthen brand positioning, cre-
ate brand preference, increase traffic, and build customer loyalty. Many
corporations experience additional benefits, noting increased em-
ployee satisfaction and the development of new and strong partners in
the community.

Several potential downsides for the corporation are inherent in these
promotional campaigns: Visibility for the corporation can get lost; most

Corporate Cause Promotions

promotional materials are not sustainable; tracking investments and return
on promotional investments is difficult; this endeavor, because of its visi-
bility, may generate too many additional requests for support from other
organizations connected to the cause; this approach requires more time
and involvement than writing a check; and promotions are often easy to
replicate, potentially removing any desired competitive advantages.

Keys to success include recommendations to carefully select an issue
(up-front) that can be tied to your products and your company values. It
should be a cause that management can commit to long-term, that is a
concern for your customers and target markets, motivates your employ-
ees, and has the most chance for media exposure. When developing
cause promotion plans, take care to connect the campaign to your prod-
ucts, develop partnerships, incorporate and ensure visibility for your
brand, and figure out a way to measure and track results.

This initiative should be given serious consideration when a com-
pany has easy access to a large potential target audience; when the cause
can be connected and sustained by the company's products; when oppor-
tunities exist to contribute to the campaign using in-kind services; when
employees can get excited about the effort; when it's desirable to limit
the company's involvement and commitment to just raising awareness
and concern about an issue; and when there is a co-branding opportu-
nity, versus being one of many sponsors.

Steps in developing a plan begin with decisions regarding partner-
ships. Then, working together, planning teams identify target audiences
and develop key messages, campaign elements, media channels, evalua-
tion plans, budgets, and implementation plans.

CHAPTER

Cause-Related Marketing:
Making Contributions
to Causes Based
on Product Sales

People often ask why American Express supports so many charitable or-
ganizations around the world and what purpose such efforts serve for the
company. The answer is easy — and it has been the same for the J 50
years that American Express has been in business. We have a vested in-
terest in the well-being of our communities. Moreover, many of our ma-
jor philanthropic efforts are tied directly to the company's long-term
business objectives. Finally, the company's philanthropic activities have
added enormous luster to our brand over the years. 1

— Mary Beth Salerno, President,
American Express Foundation

In cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns, a corporation com-
mits to making a contribution or donating a percentage of revenues
to a specific cause based on product sales. Most commonly this offer
is for an announced period of time and for a specific product and a

Cause-Related Marketing

specified charity. This link to product sales or transactions most distin-
guishes this initiative, which contains a mutually beneficial under-
standing and goal that the program will raise funds for the charity and
has the potential to increase sales for the corporation. Contributions
may be in actual dollar amounts (e.g., $4-95 donation for every high-
speed Internet connection installed) or a percentage of sales (e.g., 50
percent of revenues from sales of specified products will be donated to
children's charities).

The distinction from other corporate social initiatives is clear on
several fronts. First, this is the only one of the six initiatives described
in this book where corporate contribution levels are dependent on
some consumer action. It is perhaps most similar to cause promotions,
where the corporation is supporting awareness, concern, and public
contributions to causes. The distinction is that with CRM, the corpo-
ration then makes an additional contribution based on consumer re-
sponse (e.g., matches miles that passengers donate to a cause). Second,
CRM initiatives often require more formal agreements and coordina-
tion with the charity; important activities include establishing specific
promotional offers, developing co-branding advertisements, and track-
ing consumer purchases and activities. Finally, this initiative typically
involves more promotion, especially paid advertising. This makes
sense, as there are anticipated economic benefits for the corporation to
promote product sales. As a result, this initiative is most likely to be
managed and funded by the corporation's marketing department. In
ideal scenarios, a formal marketing plan is developed for the initiative,
establishing goals and objectives, identifying target markets, develop-
ing the marketing mix for the offer, and establishing evaluation and
tracking mechanisms.

Most regard the American Express campaign described in Chapter
1 , supporting the Restoration of the Statue of Liberty, as the start of
what has became known as cause-related marketing. The marketing
world was watching and encouraged by the possibility this effort
demonstrated — that a single, well-coordinated philanthropic effort
could contribute to the company's bottom line and raise money for a
charity as well. Subsequent public opinion research helped explain
why, with the 1999 U.S. -based Cone/Roper Report indicating that
two-thirds of consumers say they are likely to switch brands or retail-
ers to one associated with a good cause, when price and quality are
equal. 2

Typical Corporate Cause-Related Marketing Initiatives

TYPICAL CORPORATE CAUSE-RELATED
MARKETING INTIATIVES

Typical components of a cause-related marketing initiative are outlined
in Table 4-1 and include one or more products that the corporation will
promote, a cause that will be supported, and a charity or charities that
will benefit from the effort. Although the range of corporations partici-
pating in CRM initiatives is broad, it is perhaps most ideal for companies
with products that have mass market appeal, large customer bases, and
wide distribution channels, especially those in the financial services,
consumer goods, airlines, and telecommunications industries. Several
types of product links and contribution agreements are common, includ-
ing the following:

• A specified dollar amount for each product sold (e.g., Yoplait's 2003
promotion that promised 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation for each pink yogurt lid returned by Decem-
ber 31).

• A specified dollar amount for every application or account opened
(e.g., Wells Fargo branches in Arizona the summer of 2003 donat-
ing $10 to local schools for every consumer checking account
opened with direct deposit).

• A percentage of the sales of a product or transaction is pledged to the
charity (e.g., 73 percent of the purchase price of Avon's Crusade
Candle is returned to breast cancer causes).

• A portion of the sale of an item, sometimes not visibly disclosed, will
be donated to a charity (e.g., Windermere Real Estate's commit-
ment that every time a sales associate sells a home, a portion of
the commission goes to their foundation that benefits nonprofit
agencies dedicated to the homeless 3 ).

• The company matches consumer contributions related to product-
related items (e.g., Northwest Airlines matches miles donated by
passengers for children with medical needs for travel).

• A percentage of net profits from sales of a product or products is
pledged (e.g., Paul Newman pledging 100 percent of all profits
and royalties after taxes from Newman's Own products for educa-
tional and charitable purposes 4 ).

Cause-Related Marketing

• The offer may be for only a specific, designated product (e.g., $1 do-
nated for every Big Mac sold) or it may be for several or all products
(e.g., Avon's line of "pink ribbon" products).

• It may be for a specific time frame (e.g., for Big Macs sold on World
Children's Day) or open-ended (e.g., an affinity credit card for Ro-
tarians that makes ongoing contributions to the International
Foundation with every purchase).

• The corporation may decide to set a ceiling for their contribution
from sales (e.g., Lysol contributing five cents for each product
coupon redeemed, up to $225,000).

Although cause-related marketing campaigns support a wide range
of causes, those with the most visibility are ones with the biggest
followers, most commonly associated with major health issues
(e.g., breast cancer, arthritis, heart disease, asthma, AIDS), children's
needs (education, hunger, medical needs), basic needs (hunger,
homelessness), and the environment (wildlife preservation, nature
preserves).

Typically, beneficiaries of funds raised are existing nonprofit organi-
zations or foundations. However, a foundation or nonprofit is sometimes
created by the corporation (e.g., the Windermere Foundation) to collect,
manage, and distribute funds. Corporations may award funds to a variety
of charities or may dedicate proceeds from a campaign to one specific or-
ganization. Partnerships may include more than one corporation, as well
as a public agency (e.g., schools).

Table 4-1 presents examples of causes supported by nine major cor-
porations featured in this chapter.

POTENTIAL CORPORATE BENEFITS

By design, most corporate benefits from a cause-related marketing cam-
paign are marketing-related. As the following examples demonstrate,
successful initiatives can support efforts to attract new customers, reach
niche markets, increase product sales, and build positive brand identity.
In addition, such initiatives may also be one of the best strategies for rais-
ing significant funds for a cause.

Table 4. 1 Examples of Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns

Corporation

Cause

Apparent Target Audiences

The Offer

Major Partners

Financial
Institutions

Affinity cards for a

wide range of nonprofit
organizations and
member associations

Current and potential
donors and members
of associations, clubs

Donations made by financial
institution to charity based
on charge card applications
and activities

Nonprofit

organizations and

member

associations

Avon and the Avon
Foundation

Breast cancer

Women who buy
cosmetics and care
about the breast
cancer cause

Percentage of sales of "pink
ribbon" products donated
to the Avon Foundation

Avon sales

representatives

Breast cancer
research and
patient services

QVC

Tobacco cessation

Family and friends
of women who
smoke

$5 donated with every
sterling silver Circle of
Friends™ pin sold

American Legacy
Foundation

Lysol

Litter prevention and
cleanup

Purchasers of
household
disinfectants and

$.05 donation for specific
Lysol products associated
with coupon redemptions

Keep America
Beautiful

cleaning products

(Continued)

Table 4. 1 (Continued)

Corporation

Cause

Apparent Target Audiences

The Offer

Major Partners

Target

School equipment and
programs

Parents with kids in
school grades K-12

One percent of purchases
donated to eligible K-12
school of the guest's choice
and 0.5 percent of Target
Visa purchases made
elsewhere

Public schools

AT&T Broadband/
Comcast

Families of sick
children

Internet users

Donation of $7 with

installation of high-speed
Internet service

Ronald McDonald
House Charities

Athena™ Water

Women's cancer

People concerned
with women's
cancers

100 percent of net profits
donated to medical
research

Research and health
care organizations

Northwest Airlines

Travel for sick children

Members of

Northwest mileage
plans

Member miles that are
donated are matched by
theairline

Children's charities

American Express

Hunger

Credit card
customers and
potential customers

Donation made for
applications and
transactions

Hunger relief
charities

Potential Corporate Benefits

Attracting New; Customers

Inspired perhaps by the success of the innovative American Express
credit card campaign in the early 1980s that generated increased card us-
age, new member applications, and more than $ 1 million for the Statue
of Liberty restoration fund, financial institutions have been partnering
with nonprofit organizations and foundations for more than 20 years to
develop and promote affinity card programs. Financial institutions be-
lieve they can give consumers a sense of purpose with their plastic and a
reason to pick their cause-related option over the many other cards in
their wallet. How this works and why this cause-related initiative con-
tinues to be popular is described in the following summary:

Example: Financial Institutions and Affinity Cards

Most commonly, nonprofit organizations develop an exclusive
arrangement with a financial institution that makes a dona-
tion linked to one or more specific consumer actions, includ-
ing applying for a card, using the card for a purchase (donation
amounts sometimes increase with greater purchases), transfer-
ring a balance, or receiving a cash advance. Annual percent-
age rates most commonly range from 15 to 22 percent; many
carry annual fees; and some reports suggest the average dona-
tion for charges is about .05 percent, about a half a cent for
every dollar. 5

Consumers apparently like affinity cards, as they are often a vi-
sual symbol and reminder of something they feel strongly about.
By using the card they are able to generate contributions (at no
apparent cost to them) to a charity or association they care
about. It also gives them a frequent opportunity to share their
passion with others, especially at cash registers and with fellow
members of an organization (e.g., an alumni card used at a din-
ner with a fraternity brother). For the nonprofit, of course, this
word-of-mouth promotion is invaluable, as is the mass exposure
that a bank's marketing power might offer. For the financial in-
stitution, benefits can go beyond increased applications, card us-
age, and word-of-mouth from passionate cardholders, as some
charities even agree to share their mailing lists with the bank.
Apparently this relationship is mutually rewarding as, according

Cause-Related Marketing

to the Nilson Report, affinity cards accounted for 29 percent of
all credit cards in circulation in 2001. 6

But experts caution that successful relationships (a win-win for
the charity and the financial institution) require important cri-
teria. Visa USA, for example, suggests that the nonprofit orga-
nization will likely need to have a current member/donor base
that could be anticipated to generate a desired 50,000 cardhold-
ers. If 10 percent of the base responded, this would mean that
the organization would actually need to have 500,000 potential
names, or even as many as one million if only 5 percent are ex-
pected to respond. 7

Although many organizations are not willing to share financial
numbers, a few have published impressive results:

• Working Assets, a long distance, wireless, credit card, and
broadcasting company in San Francisco, has generated $40
million from its affinity credit card since 1985. With every
purchase made using the Working Assets credit card, 10
cents is donated to nonprofit groups working for peace, hu-
man rights, equality, education, and the environment. Pro-
motional messages encourage potential applicants to "Start
changing the world a dime at a time." 8

• The World Wildlife Federation in Washington, D.C., has
earned almost $8 million from its affinity credit card since
1995. 9

• The American Lung Association's affinity card with
Citibank has generated over $1 million to help fight lung
disease. For every account activated, Citibank donates
$30, as well as a percentage of every purchase made with
the card.. Promotional materials note that if 100,000
cardholders spent $5,000 a year on their card, it would
amount to more than $3 million a year for the American
Lung Association. 10

• A mailing in 2003 urged Rotarians to apply for the pre-
mium Platinum Plus MasterCard credit card to help in-
crease public awareness and visibility of Rotary
International and raise funds to benefit the Rotary Founda-
tion. Since the launch of this program in 2000, more than

Potential Corporate Benefits

$ 1 million has been raised. Their 2003 mailing closed with
the message that the next $1 million in affinity card pro-
ceeds would be designated for the association's polio eradi-
cation program (see Figure 4.1).

Raising Funds for a Cause

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade is perhaps one of the most well-
known and long-standing cause-related marketing campaigns of our
time, and a prime example of a win-win for a company and the cause.
Pringle and Thompson elaborate on the value of cause-related market-
ing to the Avon brand, as well as to the breast cancer cause, in their
book Brand Spirit. "A global brand such as Avon has built its market
position by recruiting, training, and motivating a vast and evolving
army of representatives. In the process it has created valuable relation-
ships with millions of women. As such Avon has had the authority to
embark on an ambitious cause-related marketing campaign focused on
a highly personal issue, namely breast cancer. This campaign from a
trusted brand has probably done more than any governmental organi-
zation to demystify, educate, and help prevent this debilitating and of-
ten fatal disease." 11

Figure 4. 1 The Rotary Foundation receives a donation equivalent to
one-half of 1 percent of every purchase charged to the card.

Cause-Related Marketing

Example: Avon Breast Cancer Crusade 12

Avon's desired position, as well as their mission, is made clear in
their slogan, "AVON — the company for women." Their associa-
tion for more than a decade with the cause of women's breast
cancer has certainly assisted in securing and affirming this posi-
tion. Their corporate vision is "to be the company that best un-
derstands and satisfies the product, service, and self-fulfillment
needs of women globally. Our dedication to supporting women
touches not only beauty — but health, fitness, self-empowerment,
and financial independence." 13

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade was founded in the United
Kingdom in 1992 and launched in the United States in 1993 with
a mission to fund access to care and help find a cure for breast can-
cer, and includes a focus on medically underserved women. The
cause has resonated well with the company's market as well as
with sales representatives. The Avon Foundation awards funds for
medical research, screening and diagnosis, clinical care for cancer
patients, support services for patients and their families, educa-
tional seminars, and early detection programs. In addition, Avon
supports programs for breast cancer and other vital women's
health issues in more than 50 countries worldwide. Funds raised
by all corporate and foundation initiatives in the United States
are managed and disbursed by the Avon Foundation.

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade raises funds through many so-
cial initiatives. They support cause promotions, including local
fundraising programs, direct online donations, and a national se-

Figure 4.2 Avon's Heart of the Crusade Pin is priced at $3.00, with 83
percent of the purchase price being returned to the breast cancer cause.
(Reprinted courtesy of Avon.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

ries of fundraising walks. Their philanthropic initiatives include
providing grants to beneficiaries ranging from leading national
cancer centers to community-based breast health organizations.
Of special interest in this chapter is their cause-related initia-
tive, the year-round sale of special "pink ribbon" products.

Pink ribbon products, marketed by Avon Products, Inc., over the
decade have included lipsticks, pens, mugs, candles, stuffed
bears, cosmetic cases, umbrellas, and the Heart of the Crusade
pin see Figure 4-2). Net proceeds (above cost of goods) donated
to the breast cancer cause range from 50 to 83 percent of the
purchase price. Most products are priced low, at $7.00 or under;
each is gift-boxed and accompanied by an informational
brochure, "Guide to Better Breast Health."

Since 1993, 600,000 independent Avon sales representatives in
the United States alone have generated over $55 million from
sales of pink ribbon products. Total net funds raised worldwide
exceed $300 million.

Reaching Niche Markets

A growing number of companies are discovering that cause-related
marketing initiatives can be an effective way to reach and connect
with specific demographic, geographic, or otherwise defined targeted
markets (e.g., tobacco users; friends and families of cancer victims;
school teachers; homemakers). The nonprofit foundation featured in
the following example forged a partnership with an e-commerce leader
reaching tens of millions of homes a day, as a way to reach niche audi-
ences and generate grassroots interest in an important and potentially
life-saving campaign.

Example: QVC and the American Legacy Foundation,

In February 2003, QVC and the American Legacy Foundation
announced the availability of the Circle of Friends Sunburst Pin,
a wearable icon representing a new movement in support of
women struggling with tobacco addiction (see Figure 4-3). The
American Legacy Foundation, created as a result of the 1998

Cause-Related Marketing

Figure 4.3 Sterling Circle of Friends™ Sunburst Pin. QVC price was $16
plus shipping and handling, with $5 from each sale donated to American
Legacy Foundation. (Reprinted courtesy of American Legacy Foundation.)

Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry
and attorneys general in 46 U.S. states and five U.S. territories,
reports that one in five women in America smoke and more
than 178,000 die each year from a tobacco-related disease. 14
QVC, Inc., partnered with the foundation's "Circle of Friends"
initiative, providing a national audience that could learn more
about Circle of Friends and the importance of supporting smokers
who want to quit, as well as the Sunburst Pin product offering.
QVC broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, and intro-
duces 250 new products every week to viewers in an estimated
84 million homes across the United States. Jewelry lines account
for an average of 29 percent of QVC programming. 15 It seemed a
natural fit that QVC's audience would respond well to a beauti-
ful piece of jewelry with a symbolic meaning.

The sterling silver pin was designed by a world-renowned jew-
elry designer, with the Sunburst logo intended to be a symbol of
hope and inspiration for women and families choosing a to-
bacco-free future. The pin also reflects a movement of people
joining together to help loved ones and friends in their attempts
to quit smoking. Print advertisements in magazines featured
celebrities and highlighted the message that "Quitting isn't easy,

Potential Corporate Benefits

but when friends and loved ones are there to help, smokers are
50 percent more likely to succeed." 16

The pin was offered exclusively through QVC for $16.00 plus
shipping and handling. For every pin sold, $5 went to the Amer-
ican Legacy Foundation to help fund programs for women dedi-
cated to living smoke-free lives, including a toll-free helpline.
Pins could be purchased online or by calling a toll-free number.

Foundation president and CEO Dr. Cheryl Healton commented
at the time the initiative was announced, "We are delighted to
welcome QVC into our Circle of Friends and invite its national
viewing audience of more than 84 million cable households to
join in the cause." 17

Increasing Product Sales

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) is a national nonprofit public education
organization with affiliate chapters across the nation, enhancing envi-
ronments in more than 14,000 communities. 18 Their focus is on litter
prevention, beautification, community improvement, and waste reduc-
tion. In the following example, brand managers for LYSOL® share their
cause-related marketing campaign that both benefited KAB and sup-
ported marketing goals for increased awareness and purchase of multiple
LYSOL® products.

Example: LYSOL® and Keep America Beautiful

For over 100 years, LYSOL® Brand has strived to set the gold stan-
dard in disinfecting and cleaning, with the goal of helping protect
families from illness-causing germs. As a category leader, we seek
to align ourselves with partner organizations based on their having
similar missions and values as ours. The Keep America Beautiful
(KAB) Great American Cleanup encourages individuals across
the country to take greater responsibility for improving their com-
munity environments. For LYSOL® Brand — whose goal is to help
maintain clean, vibrant, and productive homes, schools, hospitals,
and other institutions — it was a natural fit to extend the family
protection message to a broad, community-based activity.

Cause-Related Marketing

In the spring of 2003, LYSOL® developed a freestanding newspa-
per insert with a circulation of 40 million to launch our involve-
ment in the program. Approximately 10,000 grocery stores had
LYSOL® and the Great American Cleanup shopping cart ads
(see Figure 4-4)- Then, to support specific cleanups, LYSOL®
contacted the leaders of all KAB affiliates in every state, offering
them the opportunity to use our products as part of their volun-
teers' Great American Cleanup activities. We donated nearly
25,000 products with a total retail value of approximately
$105,000 across all 50 states, and in many cases had LYSOL®
representatives on-site to assist with the cleanups, conducted at
day care centers, senior housing, public transportation shelters,
park facilities, and schools. Six thousand T-shirts with the
LYSOL® logo and Great American Cleanup logo were produced
for local cleanup events, along with signage on banners and
buckets as well. We leveraged public relations and media expo-
sure at the national and local levels to make consumers aware of
our involvement with the cleanup, and had significant signage,
paraphernalia, and other items on-site and in grocery stores to
demonstrate our support. We also provided information on the
LYSOL® web site for the event and a hot link to the Keep Amer-
ica Beautiful site for specific market level cleanup information.

Five products were featured in the newspaper insert, offering a
five cent donation to KAB for every coupon redeemed, up to
$225,000, and in the summer of 2003, LYSOL® donated $225,000
to KAB.

Our involvement in KAB's Great American Cleanup generated
significant recognition for the LYSOL® brand in communities
across the country and showed our relevance in serving people's
needs in disinfecting and cleaning. This relationship supports
our brand leadership platform, builds brand equity, and demon-
strates that we are highly involved with causes about which
Americans care.

From a product perspective, and based on the structure of our
cross-product promotion, we generated sales of multiple products
in the LYSOL® franchise to the same customer. This was impor-
tant to us, as it helped raise consumer awareness of the range of
products we offer. One of our goals was to promote and sell mul-

Potential Corporate Benefits

tiple products in the LYSOL® franchise to our target consumers.
We were pleased with results that demonstrated cross-promo-
tions do work and do lead to trials of additional products.

LYSOL® is proud to once again sponsor the Keep America Beau-
tiful Great American Cleanup for 2004- This year we began to
plan programs with affiliate leaders much earlier, and have in-
volved our trade partners. We have arranged with various retail-
ers to do in-store promotions, radio spots, and other activities as
a shared commitment to supporting this cause and to building
their business. 19

Building Valuable Partnerships that Support the Effort

As noted earlier in the chapter, corporations have several options for
partnerships for cause-related marketing initiatives. They may partner
with a nonprofit organization or foundation that is not connected or

Figure 4.4 LYSOL® grocery cart ad promoting donations tied to
purchase of specific products. (Reprinted courtesy of LYSOL®.)

Cause-Related Marketing

Support Your School

Target will donate a portion of your
Target Guest Card purchases to
the K-12 school of your choice.**

DESIGNATE A SCHOOL

Figure 4.5 Target's School Fund-Raising program raised $27 million
for 110,000 schools in 2003 alone. (Courtesy of Target Corporation,
Minneapolis, MN.)

associated with the corporation, or they may designate their own
foundation or nonprofit organization as the recipient of funds raised
during the campaign effort. The following example illustrates an addi-
tional option, in which a company brings another for-profit corpora-
tion into the partnership, extending the visibility, reach, and appeal of
the initiative.

Example: Target's School Fundraising

Since it was introduced in 1997, Target's "Take Charge of Educa-
tion" initiative has contributed more than $100 million to sup-
port educational programs all across the country.

One effort within this initiative is a cause-related program
they've named "School Fundraising," in which every time guests
use their Target® Visa® or Target Guest Card® at a Target store or
at target.com, an amount equivalent to 1 percent of their pur-
chases will be donated to the eligible K-12 school of the guest's
choice (see Figure 4-5). In addition, a donation will be made of
0.5 percent of Target® Visa® purchases made elsewhere. In 2003,
this program raised $27 million for the more than 110,000
schools enrolled in the program. 20 The recipient K-12 schools
can use the dollars for anything they need, from books to play-
ground equipment.

Guests are invited to apply for a Target® Visa® and/or Target
Guest Card® and then designate a school online or by calling an

Potential Corporate Benefits

800 number. Purchases are tracked and donations are then made
to schools twice a year. The program is supported through adver-
tising, including print ads.

As might be expected, individual schools promote the program
with their students' parents as well. In one school's e-mail mes-
sage, the information included program results, showing the
amount of donations made from the program to the school to
date, and encouraged parents to click on a link to apply for the
program or to call the 800 number to designate their school.

Copromotions also support the program. In the fall of 2003, Tar-
get partnered with Red Brick Learning, a provider of educational
materials, and offered schools an opportunity to double their do-
nations, as the company promised to match every Target School
Fundraising dollar that schools apply to the purchase of Red
Brick Learning educational materials.

As of September 2003, more than eight million Target guests
were enrolled in the program.

Building Positive Brand Identity

By their nature, cause-related marketing campaigns are most successful
when the word is spread far and wide, and most corporations involved in
these campaigns will devote marketing resources to help assure this. By
association, then, the company is co-branded with the cause (e.g., Win-
dermere with Habitat for Humanity, and Target with local public
schools). The Comcast brand enjoyed association with Ronald McDon-
ald House Charities and gained publicity for their initiative, described in
the following example.

Example: Comcast and Ronald McDonald House Charities

Comcast Cable is reported to be the largest provider of cable
services in the United States and is expanding its cable opera-
tions to deliver digital services and provide faster Internet ser-
vice. 21 Cause-related marketing initiatives have been included
to support this expansion, with a seeming intention to create a
buzz about their services. Their co-branding effort with Ronald

Cause-Related Marketing

McDonald House Charities, named by Worth magazine as one of
"America's 100 Best Charities of 2002," apparently did not go
unnoticed.

In 1999, a cross-promotion between AT&T Broadband/Comcast
and McDonald's in Southern California targeted the Hispanic
market with a television spot and direct-mail piece containing
the message: "Receive the very best of cable programming for
the entire family and team up with AT&T Broadband/Comcast
to help benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern
California (RMHC)." (See Figure 4-6.) The offer was to sign up
for cable for only $19.99 a month and AT&T Broadband/Com-
cast would donate the $7 installation fee to RMHC; six weeks
following installation, AT&T Broadband/Comcast promised to
send the household coupons to redeem for four free McFlurry
deserts or soft-serve cones at participating McDonald's locations
in Southern California. Liz Castells-Heard, president/CEO of
Castells & Asociados, the Los Angeles-based Hispanic market-
ing and advertising agency that developed the cross-promotion,
believes that the partners "did well by doing good," generating
"short-term sales with minimal incremental cost." "We get ex-
treme satisfaction by partnering our existing clients to support
such worthy causes for the benefit of the community."

Liz estimated that McDonald's received $1 million worth of cable
TV and direct-mail exposure; that Ronald McDonald House Char-
ities® received $85,000; and that AT&T Broadband/Comcast got
a "cool freebie to entice subscribers, additional media through
McDonald's ubiquitous store point-of-purchase displays and co-
op radio, and, most importantly, benefited from McDonald's
long-established high Hispanic brand equity and community en-
trenchment." She also commented that the media engagement
was very high. "Radio deejays raved about McDonald's yummy
desserts and the benefits of cable television for the entire family.
The charity check was presented at a high-visibility family event
covered by local TV and radio. We made it on the news. We got
on talk shows and got sound bites on how we helped Latino kids.
The promotion exceeded expectations by 30 percent, and
RMHC's proceeds tripled." 22

Potential Corporate Benefits

solo

al mes

Y $4.95' por inscaladon

jSuscribase hoy mismo para tener acceso a la mejor programacion
en espaftol, ayudar a su comunidad y recibir 4 postres gratis!

►rdor today and you'll have »cc«« to the best SpaniJi linsuip programming, plus w*H give yuu 4 free dessert* and help your community.

jLlame hoy misnio porque esta

terminn el 4 do agosto del 20021 Preguntc por la oferta "G"

""a-a- 1 1-877-515-8752

Call now and uk for offer cod* "G" thlt offer ends August 4, 2002!

4 postres GRATIS/ 1

Al suscribirse recibira cuatro cuponos para postres
gratis de McDonald's . Escoja entre helados en conos
pcquenos y/o postres McFlurry" pequertos. Ademas
con su suscripcion, AT&T Broadband hara una
donation a la organizacion Ronald McDonald House
Charities of Southern California, que tiene como
mision promover la salud y el bienestar de los ninos y
sus familias por medio de program as sociales,
educativos

S^n wp and you l receive (our coupon* for free deweru from McDonalaV
Choose from either tmall soil serve Cones and/or small McFlurry" desserts.
When you sign up. AT4T Broadband will make a donation ro the
McDonald House Charklei of Southern California. Tholr minion
promote (lie lieahh and weil bung of Children and ihw families by providing

um*, * 4 tUmy" ***** ■ Mt*. ft ■ mm*,, ^Mtm u. «, m {4, e*

Figure 4.6 A partnership benefiting Ronald McDonald

House Charities®. (Promotional materials shown are for 2002 program.)

(Reprinted courtesy of Caste lis & Asociados.)

100

Cause-Related Marketing

In summer 2002, Castells & Asociados again partnered their
AT&T Broadband/Comcast and McDonald's clients to support
RMHC with a promotion that featured a festive, pifiata-themed
television spot and direct-mail piece with the message: "Save Big
and Help the Community." For every cable subscription, the $4-95
installation fee went directly to RMHC. The new customer then
received a coupon for a free Crispy Chicken Extra Value Meal.

The promotion has been considered so successful that several
Comcast markets, such as western Washington, emulated the
cross-partnership in subsequent years with positive results in the
general market.

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

It appears there may be as many concerns with this initiative as there
are potential benefits. Some are unique to CRM and others are com-
mon challenges associated other social initiatives as well. Those most
significant for CRM include the following, having the greatest implica-
tions for increased staff time and funds and potential legal and market-
ing risks.

• Contractual agreements specifying contribution conditions need
to be drawn up between the corporation and the charity, taking
more time and attention than with other initiatives such as a
cause promotion or volunteering in the community.

• Legal restrictions and required disclosures need to be investigated
and abided by, again consuming more staff time on and attention
to campaign details and coordination with partners.

• The corporation as well as the partners need to establish reliable
tracking systems to ensure consumer commitments are fulfilled.
Such systems can be very labor intensive (e.g., a campaign where
schools receive funds associated with the return of cereal boxtops
will involve recording the number of returns and ensuring the
appropriate schools will be credited with the appropriate amount
of funds).

Keys to Success

101

• Since per item donations are often small (e.g., 0.5 percent of pur-
chases on a credit card), participation levels will need to be high
in order for the effort to be worthwhile, for the corporation as well
as for the charity. This often requires an investment in paid pro-
motions, including advertising, point-of-purchase signage, and/or
direct mail, in order to obtain a reach and frequency threshold
with target audiences.

• Consumers can be especially skeptical of campaigns like this, as it
will be seen (and rightly so) as more than a philanthropic effort.
This will be especially true for campaigns that do not provide easy
access to information regarding what portion of the proceeds of the
sale will go to the charity or how much money is expected to be
raised from the effort. The perception among many consumers is
that the amount is probably small and won't make a big difference
and that the corporation is using its association with the charity
for purely profit motives. If amounts are not disclosed, this skepti-
cism can rise, a tough dilemma if in fact the per sale donation will
seem very small and not reflect the total potential amount.

• Though not common, some customers may have concerns about
the charity the brand is being associated with and may not want
to purchase the product as a result. This may happen, for example,
when a charity has a mission or is associated with some value that
is inconsistent with those of the consumer or if a recent scandal
(e.g., management of funds of the charity or membership discrim-
ination) has received significant publicity.

• Promotional executions and media channels will need to be de-
veloped with the cause partner, who will also have guidelines and
priorities related to brand identity and graphic standards. The
charity partner may, for example, have a target market they want
to reach (first or most) that is not as attractive to the corporation
or not a priority for marketing resources.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Keys to success take into consideration the challenges and potential
downsides of CRM. Many are illustrated in depth in the three cases pre-

102

Cause-Related Marketing

sented in this section. Perspectives are offered from managers involved
in developing and executing these initiatives, along with their recom-
mendations, which include the following:

• Select a major cause that your company and your target audience
has passion about.

• Choose a charity partner that has a broad base of existing and po-
tential relationships, as the amount per transaction generated by
the campaign may be small and therefore high volumes will be
key to a successful campaign.

• Target a product offer that has the most chemistry with the cause,
looking for the intersection between your customer base, your
products, and people who care about the cause.

• Research the idea with targeted customers, or consider a pilot in
one market to gauge general appeal and refine marketing strategies.

• Give the effort considerable visibility with potential buyers. Small
mentions on product labels or small type added to existing ads
may go unnoticed.

• Keep the offer simple, to avoid consumer suspicion and significant
paperwork. Consider the benefits of disclosing the actual or antic-
ipated amount to be donated to the charity (e.g., the next $1 mil-
lion raised will be designated to eradicating polio in the world).

• Be willing to recognize errors and make changes.

Northwest Airlines and Its AirCares® Charitable Support Program

Prior to the early 1990s, Northwest's corporate giving strategy consisted
primarily of the community relations department simply writing checks to
the various causes it supported. Not surprisingly, perhaps, there was little
awareness or visibility among the employees or passengers with regard to
the company's role in the communities it served. In 1992, charitable activ-
ities at the corporate level were organized under a new initiative called the
Northwest AirCares® charitable support program, described by Northwest:

Interestingly, this took place at a time when the airline — and the entire
airline industry — faced serious financial problems, with the Gulf War,
high fuel prices, and overcapacity among the airlines. Despite all this,
we were committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and looked
for ways to use our resources to support causes around the world.

Keys to Success

103

The program began as an in-flight fundraising project for nonprofit
organizations, a cause promotion effort. Northwest has a captive audi-
ence of more than 50 million people a year who were then exposed to
the program and the mission of its charitable partners. Each quarter,
Northwest profiled a different partner charity through its various on-
board communications and asked passengers to contribute money or
frequent flyer miles to the nonprofit organization. We featured the
charity partner over each three-month period through in-flight videos
and onboard flight attendant announcements, ads in USA Today, and
featured articles in the Northwest WorldTravekr magazine.

Over the years, we learned that some of the causes that were fea-
tured did not resonate as well as others with passengers in terms of
their giving. We also found that after dozens of partnerships and causes
were featured over the years, it was difficult to find new charity part-
ners that caught as much of the passengers' attention or generated em-
ployee enthusiasm. What we noticed was that passengers were most
moved by opportunities to help children, especially sick children.

The program then evolved to where since the end of 2002,
Northwest's AirCares emphasis has been exclusively on its
KidCares® program (see Figure 4.7). The KidCares medical travel
program provides travel for a child, accompanied by one parent or
guardian, to obtain needed medical treatment, a critical element
when a child's health depends on receiving treatment far from home.
This travel is made possible by mileage donations from Northwest's
generous WorldPerks® travel program members that are then
matched by the airline (a cause-related marketing effort).

Internal support for the program is provided by the marketing

T nwa KidCares

Figure 4.7 Northwest Airlines' medical travel program is made
possible by customer donations of miles that are then matched by
the airline. (Reprinted courtesy of Northwest Airlines.)

104

Cause-Related Marketing

department that is responsible for tracking donated miles and man-
aging communications about the program to the millions of mem-
bers enrolled in WorldPerks through member statements and
Northwest's web site. Corporate communications dedicates one
page from each edition of the Northwest WorldTraveler inflight mag-
azine to communicate about the program. To date, KidCares has
provided free travel for more than 600 children and an accompany-
ing adult.

Through the AirCares program, the company has been better able
to communicate that it is a caring corporate citizen, concerned with
various issues around the world. In fact, recently the company's Air-
Cares program received an award from the International Leadership
Institute in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The award, the 2004 Twin Cities In-
ternational Corporate Citizen Award, is "given to corporations in the
community who have made outstanding contributions to both the lo-
cal and global communities and who have demonstrated a strong com-
mitment to international understanding, cooperation and mutual
respect." 23 The Institute said that it looks for organizations that don't
brag about how much they do but are, instead, just out there doing
what needs to be done for people.

We have also been able to leverage our relationship with charity
partners. For example, when we run a special fare promotion, we can
ask the current partner charity to share this promotion with its mem-
bership (staff and supporters).

Employees are taking more pride in the program and becoming
involved in supporting the charity partners. As an example, our
technical operations department, one of Northwest's largest em-
ployee groups, contributes an estimated $25,000 per year to AirCares
partners by individual employee donations through fundraising. An
extraordinary fundraising effort took place during the last quarter of
2003 when during Northwest's United Way campaign, the Technical
Operations employees conducted a garage sale, of sorts, selling extra
tools and toolboxes both to Northwest employees and to the general
public. Their goal was to raise $50,000 to be given to a designated
AirCares charity organization; that goal was exceeded within the
first three hours of the sale with the end result of the sale raising
$150,000. The money was divided amongst three of Northwest's Air-
Cares charity partners. Their efforts helped a lot of people in need
and built team spirit for the employees.

Keys to Success

105

This program has provided several lessons learned and the fol-
lowing recommendations for others:

• We learned how important it is to target issues and develop
initiatives that relate to the company's core business, what
you know best. Northwest is in the business of air transporta-
tion and it makes sense (to us and our customers) for the air-
line to use its resources to help sick children or people in need
of travel. Likewise, restaurants and grocery stores may want to
tackle the hunger issue and women's retail stores may want to
support [victims of] breast cancer or domestic violence and a
real estate or mortgage company would do well to consider
supporting the homeless or Habitat for Humanity. It's about
finding a natural, easy match.

• Don't be shy about trying to have the initiative be a win-win
situation for both the corporation and the charity. There's
nothing wrong with doing well by doing good.

• Be willing to shift program emphasis if something isn't res-
onating with your customer base. Follow their passion.

American Express

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, American Express
recognized the need for, and committed itself to being an active part of, a
process of healing, renewal, and revitalization in lower Manhattan. The
decision reflected the company's commitment to its home community in
New York, and its recognition of the critical role that business could play
in revitalizing that community. A corporate executive for American Ex-
press shares how a variety of corporate social initiatives were used in this
effort, with a special highlight on a familiar cause-related marketing effort.

Nowhere has American Express' community support been more fo-
cused or more prevalent than in New York City — the company's cor-
porate home throughout our 154-year history. Most recently,
American Express has been at the forefront of efforts to revitalize
downtown New York in the aftermath of September 1 1 — from return-
ing 4,000 displaced employees to our corporate headquarters (dam-
aged after the 9/11 attacks) in lower Manhattan, to helping draw
millions of visitors to downtown New York through our sponsorship

106

Cause-Related Marketing

and support of various events and initiatives. American Express has
pledged to partner with corporate, community, and government lead-
ers to help make lower Manhattan the place to be for arts, entertain-
ment, shopping, dining, and business.

The company initiated and supported a wide range of corporate
social initiatives in downtown New York to fulfill this commitment.
Immediately following September 11, we created the American Ex-
press World Trade Center Disaster Relief Fund, which contributed $5
million to help the community respond to the disaster and to assist
those most affected by the tragedy. For downtown merchants, com-
pany staff went door-to-door offering help to get merchant systems up
and operating following 9/11 and ran advertising campaigns encour-
aging patrons and visitors to come back downtown. In the spring of
2002 — at a time when many people were still reluctant to come
downtown — we became the founding sponsor of the Tribeca Film
Festival, drawing thousands of people to lower Manhattan for a series
of premiere movie events, a free rock and comedy concert in Battery
Park, and a free family day. The Tribeca Film Festival attracted more
than 150,000 people to lower Manhattan that spring, more than
300,000 in 2003, and more than 400,000 people in 2004, our third
year of support. We also were the title sponsor of the first-ever Down-
town NYC River to River Festival in 2002, which featured more than
500 mostly free performances and cultural events in downtown Man-
hattan. River to River has successfully drawn one million patrons to
lower Manhattan in each of the festival's first two years.

Most recently, American Express launched the Campaign to Re-
open the Statue of Liberty (see Figure 4-8). Recognizing the impor-
tance of the statue as a world symbol of liberty and freedom and its
place as one of the most significant attractions in bringing people to
lower Manhattan, American Express pledged a minimum of $3 mil-
lion to the Statue. The funds will help support critical safety im-
provements to the statue, which has been closed to the public since
September 11, 2001. The American Express contribution has two
parts. First, the company donated one cent for every purchase made
on an American Express Card — up to $2.5 million — from December
1, 2003, through January 31, 2004- The company made a direct con-
tribution from its philanthropic program of $500,000.

These recent initiatives, as well as our history of involvement
in social responsibility, have led us to adopt several guiding princi-

Keys to Success

107

Figure 4.8 Promotional material for American Express's campaign to
help reopen Lady Liberty. (Reprinted courtesy of American Express.)

pies to ensure we do the most good for our communities as well as
our company:

• We achieve greater success with corporate social responsibil-
ity initiatives when our efforts are a natural and logical exten-
sion of the business and brand of the company. For American
Express, service has always been a hallmark of its brand. We
also have been strong supporters of culture and the arts — as
have our Cardmembers. The company's efforts in New York
align well with this historic commitment to service, culture,
and the arts.

• We leverage our resources — in funding, marketing, advertising,
planning, and so forth — with those of a wide range of civic, cul-
tural, community, and business groups. The strength of public-
private partnerships, the collective commitment of the

108

Cause-Related Marketing

community, and the combining of resources make it possible for
these initiatives to achieve far more than would have been pos-
sible through the efforts of any individual organization.

• We involve many different parts of the company — from staff
groups to core business units — to think creatively, act gener-
ously, and work collectively on corporate social responsibility
initiatives.

• We recognize the importance of long-term commitment. De-
spite the significant progress in the past two years, much work
in rebuilding and revitalizing lower Manhattan remains. That
is why we have supported many of these projects beyond just
the first year — when emotions and support were high — as an
acknowledgment of the considerable work that lies ahead
and, with it, the need for sustained support throughout the
community.

Athena™ Water and Women's Cancers

Paul Newman began selling food products under the label "Newman's
Own" in 1982 with a $40,000 investment, pledging all after-tax profits
to charities. Food industry experts predicted that the operation would
lose $1 million in the first year. After the 12th month of business, New-
man ended up giving close to $1 million to educational and charitable
organizations. Since 1982, he has contributed over $150 million to
thousands of charities. He attributes this success in part to providing
consumers opportunities for "eating good food and doing good at the
same time." 24

The following more recent case may someday further demonstrate
the power of a cause to enhance a product, even when it has few if any
other points of differentiation. Athena Water's story is shared by Trish
May, the company's founder and CEO, a former marketing manager from
Microsoft who is a breast cancer survivor:

The $3.5 billion-a-year bottled water market is extremely crowded
and includes giants like Coca-Cola's Dasani and Pepsi's Aquafina.
And yet, in the summer of 2003, I decided to enter the fray, deter-
mined to capture a share of the bottled market in the Northwest and
at the same time raise money for women's cancer research.

I wanted to create a product where people could make a differ-

Keys to Success

109

ence every single day, one that didn't require you to run a race or at-
tend a fundraising lunch. I considered everything from nuts to fruits
to tofu and more, and when I landed on the idea of bottled water, I
knew it was right. It was something everyone needs. It's associated
with health and is a frequent purchase. The name Athena Water
also seemed right as the Greek goddess Athena was known as the
goddess of war, wisdom, and healing, and our initiative is about
fighting the battle for a cure in an intelligent way.

We first introduced the water in July 2003 as a product of
Athena Partners™, a nonprofit organization with a mission to
raise funds for women's cancer research and education, which ex-
emplifies a new type of not-for-profit, considered a social enter-
prise as it sells a product or service to support its cause rather than
depend on donations. I funded the investment and pledged to do-
nate 100 percent of net profits from bottled water sales to cancer
research and education (see Figure 4-9). Pricing is in line with
most other bottled waters with a suggested retail price of $3.29 for
a six-pack of 500 milliliter bottles and $1.29 for single one-liter

IlPil

Athena

0 ioo%

/\ of Profits
to Find a Cure

Visit www.ath9naoartners.org for more information about how Athena Parma's is helping find the cure tor Women's cancers.

Figure 4.9 Athena Water's donation of all profits to breast cancer
research provides it with a point of difference in a crowded category.
(© 2003, Athena Partners.) (Reprinted courtesy of Athena Partners.)

110

Cause-Related Marketing

bottles. I estimated at the time that if we could eventually capture
5 percent of the bottled market in the Northwest, we would be
able to donate $1 million a year.

By November of 2003, only four months later, Athena had
gained a distribution into 75 percent of the grocery accounts in west-
ern Washington, a rapid entry especially for a new product from a
new company. We were also picked up by food service outlets
(Tully's Coffee), and a local health care organization started giving
patients a bottle of Athena with every mammogram and when un-
dergoing chemotherapy. Most recently, a popular box lunch caterer
signed up and now includes Athena water in 5,000 to 6,000 boxed
lunches it delivers each week to area businesses. Early in 2004, we
anticipate donating at least $10,000 in profits from 2003, our first
year. Funds will be split among cancer research organizations based
in the Northwest.

Three factors give me a great sense of optimism about what lies
ahead and the potential for this product to make a real difference:

1. The market for bottled water is strong and growing. Even
though the market is crowded, it is estimated to be growing at
30 percent a year and is a product that appeals to the target
market, women.

2. There is strong appeal for the woman's cancer cause. I believe
it is the largest and most successful cause for which funds are
raised each year. It resonates deeply with people as it touches
everyone directly or indirectly and is a topic about which
women bond and which they are comfortable discussing. It is
also an area that other vendors want to support or feel a so-
cial responsibility to report.

3. Cause-related marketing has proven it can be successful.
There are numerous examples of successful cause marketing
products such as Yoplait yogurt and the U.S. Postal Service
breast cancer stamp. The stamp has raised millions by adding
a few cents to a commodity product and demonstrates the
power of the cause to enhance a product, even when it basi-
cally has no other point of differentiation. The cause, to-
gether with the 100 percent of profits donation, gives the
water a unique point of differentiation in a crowded, undiffer-
entiated category.

Developing a Cause-Related Marketing Campaign Plan 111

WHEN SHOULD A CAUSE-RELATED
MARKETING INITIATIVE BE CONSIDERED?

Although most companies have the potential for developing and imple-
menting a CRM initiative, those most likely to experience success are
those with products that enjoy a large market or mass market appeal,
have well-established and wide distribution channels, and would benefit
from a product differentiation that offers consumers an opportunity to
contribute to a favorite charity. It should be considered when increased
product sales, visibility, or co-branding with a popular cause would sup-
port corporate marketing objectives and goals for a product or products.

It may also be most successful in situations where a company has an
existing, ideally long-term association with a cause or charity and then
adds this initiative to the lineup, in an integrated fashion. For example,
consider a scenario where a life vest manufacturer had been partnering
for years with a local children's hospital on a variety of corporate social
initiatives related to drowning prevention among children. Efforts in-
cluded participation in a cause promotion to increase awareness and
concern about unintentional drownings among children by sponsoring
paid public service announcements on television and promoting a chil-
dren's health fair where drowning prevention information was distrib-
uted. Imagine, too, that they were involved in a social marketing
initiative with the hospital that encouraged parents to put life vests on
children at beaches, and a philanthropic effort that included donating
loaner life vests at community beaches and swimming pools. A cause-
related marketing initiative might best be added at this point, where a
donation to the children's hospital is promised with every toddler life
vest sold. Because at this point the consumer associates the life vest man-
ufacturer with the drowning prevention campaign and the children's
hospital, the new effort may be perceived as an authentic, natural exten-
sion of the apparent commitment to children and injury prevention.

DEVELOPING A CAUSE-RELATED
MARKETING CAMPAIGN PLAN

Steps in developing a CRM effort mirror those of traditional marketing
plans, beginning with a situation assessment; setting objectives and goals;
selecting target audiences; determining the marketing mix; and developing

112

Cause-Related Marketing

budget, implementation, and evaluation plans. Although this sequential
process is not always practical or common, it is recommended by those
looking back on both successful and disappointing efforts.

In the situation assessment phase, many suggest to begin by identify-
ing the company's marketing needs. Does the company want to enter a
new market with existing products? Is there a new product launch that
this effort might help fuel? Or is the market becoming crowded with par-
ity products, offered at similar prices in similar locations, with the com-
pany in need of a new strategy for product differentiation?

With this focus, the assessment then moves to identifying a social is-
sue to support. What issues is the corporation already supporting? Would a
CRM effort strengthen the company's association and contribution to
this cause? What are the major social concerns of target markets? Of
these, which one is most closely aligned with the company's core values
and has the strongest potential for connections with products that would
support marketing objectives? At this point, potential partners are ex-
plored. As this will be a co-branded effort, what charity or foundation
would be the right match for the company and product's positioning?
How large is their membership or donor base and what is their reputa-
tion in the community?

Once a social cause and charity have been selected, a marketing plan
is developed to include marketing objectives (e.g., increase in new appli-
cations) and quantifiable goals (e.g., desired fundraising levels). Working
with the charity, target audiences are identified and a marketing strategy
is developed that will include products the campaign will be linked with,
purchase incentives, distribution channels, and promotional strategies.
At this stage, legal agreements and contracts will also most likely need to
be developed, as will promotional budgets and implementation plans.
Tracking systems will need to be established, with clearly outlined roles
and responsibilities for tracking and reporting.

SUMMARY

Cause-related marketing campaigns are most distinct from other corpo-
rate social initiatives by the link of contribution levels to corporate prod-
uct sales; the need for more formal agreements and systems for
measurement and tracking with the charity; and the likelihood that the
program will be funded and managed by the marketing department, often

Summary

113

the recipient of the most corporate benefits. Contribution agreements
with the charity and the consumer vary from ones that announce a speci-
fied dollar amount for each product sold to ones that promise a portion of
after-tax profits. The offer may be for only one specific product or it might
apply to a line of products. It may be good for only a brief promotional
time period, or it may be open-ended, as with affinity credit cards.

By design, most corporate benefits from a cause-related marketing
campaign are marketing-related and include the potential to attract new
customers, reach niche markets, increase product sales, and build posi-
tive brand identity. In addition, this initiative may also be one of the
best strategies for raising significant funds for a cause. Potential concerns
and challenges should also be anticipated and addressed, including in-
creased needs (relative to other social initiatives) for promotional fund-
ing, staff time for planning and coordination of the campaign with
charity partners, and attention to potential legal and marketing risks in
comparison to other types of initiatives.

Experts recommend that managers select a major cause their com-
pany and target audience has passion for, preferably one the company is
already supporting. The ideal scenario is one where the charity partner
has a large potential following, the product has good chemistry with the
cause, and the incentive (offer) is straightforward and easy to under-
stand. Development of a formal marketing plan is encouraged, one that
includes considerable promotional effort and resources, recognizing that
success will most likely depend on high participation levels, especially
when contributions per transaction are small.

CHAPTER

Corporate Social Marketing:
Supporting Behavior
Change Campaigns

Creating public-private partnerships , such as Crest Healthy Smiles 2010,
can help affect change in the oral health of our country. These collective
efforts can help educate both the public and health professionals, as well
as provide the health care services and oral care tools needed to help end
the current disparity in our nation's oral health.

— Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher 1

Corporate social marketing is a means whereby a corporation sup-
ports the development and/or implementation of a behavior
change campaign intended to improve public health, safety, the
environment, or community well-being. Behavior change is always the fo-
cus and the intended outcome. Successful campaigns utilize a strategic
marketing planning approach: conducting a situation analysis, selecting
target audiences, setting behavior objectives, identifying barriers and
benefits to behavior change, and then developing a marketing mix strat-
egy that helps overcome perceived barriers and maximize potential bene-
fits. It relies on the same principles and techniques used in developing
and implementing marketing strategies for corporate goods and services.

114

Typical Corporate Social Marketing Campaigns 115

It is most easily distinguished from other corporate social initiatives
by this behavior change focus. Although campaign efforts may include
awareness building and educational components or efforts to alter cur-
rent beliefs and attitudes, the campaign is designed primarily to support
and influence a particular public behavior (e.g., keeping a litterbag in
the car) or action (e.g., voting). This initiative is probably most similar
to cause promotion initiatives where, as described in Chapter 3, the cor-
poration is providing funds, in-kind contributions, or other corporate re-
sources to increase awareness about a cause or to support fundraising or
volunteer efforts for a cause. When, however, campaign goals, objectives,
messages, and related activities are "selling" a particular desired behav-
ior, we categorize it as a corporate social marketing initiative and recom-
mend specific program planning and implementation principles.

Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman launched social marketing as a
discipline more than 25 years ago in a pioneering article in the Journal of
Marketing. 1 It is more recently described by Kotler, Roberto, and Lee as
"the use of marketing principles and techniques to influence a target au-
dience to voluntarily accept, reject, modify, or abandon a behavior for
the benefit of individuals, groups, or society as a whole." 3 Over the past
three decades, interest has spread from applications for improving public
health (e.g., HIV/AIDS prevention) to increasing public safety (e.g.,
wearing seat belts), and more recently to protecting the environment
(e.g., water conservation) and engendering community involvement
(e.g., organ donation).

Most commonly, social marketing campaigns are developed and im-
plemented by professionals working in federal, state, and local public
sector agencies, such as utilities, departments of health, transportation,
and ecology, and in nonprofit organizations. Of interest in this chapter is
the application for professionals working in for-profit corporations or
their foundations.

TYPICAL CORPORATE SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

Corporate social marketing campaigns most commonly focus on promot-
ing behaviors that address specific issues such as the following:

• Health issues including tobacco use prevention, secondhand smoke,
breast cancer, prostate cancer, physical activity, fetal alcohol

116

Corporate Social Marketing

syndrome, teen pregnancy, skin cancer, eating disorders, diabetes,
heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and oral health.

• Injury prevention issues including traffic safety, safe gun stor-
age, drowning prevention, suicide prevention, and emergency
preparedness.

• Environmental issues including water conservation, electrical con-
servation, use of pesticides, air pollution, wildlife habitats, and lit-
ter prevention.

• Community involvement issues such as volunteering, voting, animal
rights, organ donation, crime prevention, and blood donation.

Selection of issues is most often influenced by a natural connection
to a corporation's core business (e.g., Crest and children's oral heath). A
decision to support a behavior change campaign may then be sparked by
some growing, perhaps even alarming trend (e.g., increases in child obe-
sity rates). This interest may be initiated by an internal group or staff
member, such as a product manager who monitors specific consumer
groups and their issues. Or the corporation may be targeted and ap-
proached by a public sector or nonprofit organization to partner in an ef-
fort (e.g., a medical center approaches a retail store regarding discounts
on lock boxes for safe gun storage).

As outlined in Table 5.1, a wide range of industries participate in so-
cial marketing efforts. Major campaign elements include forming part-
nerships, determining a behavior objective, selecting target audiences,
and developing and implementing campaign strategies. More detailed
steps recommended for developing a social marketing plan are outlined
at the end of this chapter.

Although campaigns may be developed and implemented solely by
the corporation, it is more common that partnerships will be formed with
public sector agencies and/or nonprofits who provide technical expertise
regarding the social issue (e.g., heart disease); extend community out-
reach capabilities (e.g., access to Boys 6k Girls Clubs); and add credibility,
even luster, to the campaign effort and the brand (e.g., American Heart
Association partnering with Subway). In typical scenarios, the corpora-
tion provides several types of support: time and expertise of marketing
personnel; money; access to distribution channels; employee volunteers;
and in-kind contributions (e.g., printing of an immunization schedule).
Funding may come from several sources within the organization, although

Table 5.1 Examples of Corporate Social Marketing Initiatives

Corporation

Desired Behavior

Target Audiences

Sample Activities

Major Partners

Subway

Practice healthy heart
habits

Adults looking for
healthy food options

Radio/TV
Brochures

American Heart
Association

Pampers

Put infants on their
back to sleep to help
prevent SIDS

Parents and caretakers

"Back to Sleep" logo
on newborn diapers

SIDS Foundation
Health Canada

Best Buy

Recycle used electronics
at our store

Computer and software
users

Web site
Print

Recycling events
Radio

Local governmental
agencies

Mustang Life Vests

Put a life vest on toddlers
at beaches, on docks
and on boats

Families with toddlers

Outdoor ads
Discount coupons
Loaner programs

Children's hospitals
Emergency medical

services
Local government

coalitions

Premera Blue Cross

Don't pressure your
doctor to prescribe
antibiotics

Adults and parents

Posters
Newsletter
News articles

Statewide Coalition on
Judicious Use of
Antibiotics

(Continued)

Table 5.1 (Continued)

Corporation

Desired Behavior

Target Audiences

Sample Activities

Major Partners

Dole

Eat 5 fruits and
vegetables a day

Parents, teachers,
children

Web site

CD-ROM

Cookbook

National Institute of

Health
Produce for Better

Health Foundation

7 -Eleven

Dispose of litter
properly

People who eat fast
food

16- to 24-year-olds
People who drive 50-
plus miles a day

Point of purchase
Special events

Texas Department of

Transportation
Keep Texas Beautiful

Crest

Ensure good oral
health for
children

Primarily children in
grades K-3

Education
Dental care
Oral health tools

American Dental

Association
Boys 6k Girls Clubs

Safeco

Insurance

Take important steps to
prevent fire around
the outside of your
home

Homeowners in high-
risk wildfire areas

Printed materials with
"10 Tips to Wildfire
Defense"

Video

Speaker events

Fire marshals
Local Safeco agents

The Home Depot

Practice these 100 ways
to save water

Local residential
households

Brochures
Workshops
Discount coupons
Guideline cards

Utilities

Water conservation

coalitions
Media &

Communications
Firms

Potential Corporate Benefits

119

marketing is often an enthusiastic contributor, as many of the benefits
support marketing objectives and goals.

As suggested in Table 5.1, typical campaigns focus on behaviors that
can be expressed as a single act (e.g., get a flu shot) or simple doable acts
(e.g., eat five fruits and vegetables a day) — behaviors that the target au-
dience will know if they have done and ones that campaign managers
can measure. Market segmentation is common, with a desired focus on
target audiences who will benefit most from the behavior change, who
are most open to the idea of change, and who can be reached efficiently
with available media channels. Typical activities include traditional pro-
motional efforts using a variety of media channels, including broadcast,
print, outdoor, promotional items, and special events.

POTENTIAL CORPORATE BENEFITS

As illustrated in the following brief case examples, many of the potential
benefits for the corporation are connected to marketing goals and objec-
tives: supporting brand positioning, creating brand preference, building
traffic, and increasing sales. Potential benefits beyond marketing include
improving profitability and making a real social impact.

Supporting Brand Positioning

Kotler and Armstrong describe a brand's position as "the complex set of
perceptions, impressions, and feelings that consumers have for the prod-
uct compared with competing products." 4 Social marketing is one strategy
to achieve a desired brand position. 5 The following case illustrates how a
social marketing partnership between a corporation and a publicly funded
program provided strong benefits for a brand in the highly competitive
fast-food industry and helped to positively influence eating behaviors.

Example: Subway and Heart Health

Subway has a corporate philosophy to offer healthy, convenient
fast food and currently features seven sub sandwiches with six
grams of fat or less.

On a local level, this core competency made them a natural
partner for North Carolina's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

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Corporate Social Marketing

Task Force and the North Carolina Cardiovascular Health Pro-
gram funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Subway sponsored and therefore was associated with messages
from these health organizations promoting healthy eating and be-
ing physically active. In the year 2000 these cosponsored messages
reached over seven million listeners in North Carolina with
taglines on Subway's radio and television commercials. Brochures
at cashier stands were made available in more than 470 stores
throughout the state. Coupons for Subway's healthy "Seven Un-
der Six" meals were featured in newspaper inserts (see Figure 5.1).

Reports indicate that demand for their low-fat offerings in-
creased and that one state legislator asked how he could get a
Subway restaurant in his district. The partnership has garnered
attention from CDC and the American Heart Association.

On a national scale, in 2003 Subway announced its national
sponsorship of the American Heart Association's "America
Heart Walk," an annual 5K walk in more than 750 cities across
America. Promotional materials including an announcement of
the sponsorship on napkins and in a "Nutritional 6k Dietary
Guide" on counters in Subway restaurants, outlining the benefits
of exercise, tips for getting started, and how to find time for an
exercise routine.

Figure 5.1 Subway's cosponsored messages provide strong
support for a desired brand positioning. (Reprinted courtesy of
MarketSmart Advertising.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

121

Creating Brand Preference

Brand preference makes it more likely that a particular product will be se-
lected from a lineup of similar products. Social marketing can create rich
associations for the brand by connecting it with a cause. According to Busi-
ness for Social Responsibility, "A 1997 study by Walker Research found
that when price and quality are equal, 75 percent of consumers would
switch brands or retailers if a company is associated with a good cause." 6

In the following example, note the potential for rich associations for
the Pampers brand of disposable diapers as a result of supporting a social
marketing campaign to influence parents and caregivers to place infants
on their backs to sleep, instead of their sides or stomachs.

Example: Pampers and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) 7

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of
death among infants from birth to 12 months in North Amer-
ica. Importantly, according to the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development (NICHD), the SIDS rate in
the United States has declined by more than 50 percent since
the NICHD "Back to Sleep" campaign began in 1994. Pam-
pers joined the nationwide Back to Sleep campaign in the
United States in 1999 at the encouragement of a forum com-
prised of leading world child care experts (Pampers Parenting
Institute), recognizing Pampers as the leading diaper used in
hospitals. 8

Pampers printed the Back to Sleep logo (featuring a baby sleep-
ing on its back — see Figure 5.2) across the diaper-fastening strips
of its diapers for newborns, delivering life-saving information
straight to parents and caregivers. In addition to imprinting the
Back to Sleep logo on diapers in three different languages (Eng-
lish, French, and Spanish), Pampers included Back to Sleep in-
formation in childbirth education packets, booklets distributed
through pediatricians' offices, direct mail pieces to households
with newborns, and an aggressive media outreach program tar-
geting minority communities. In 1999, it was estimated that the
campaign would reach 1 .5 million mothers of newborns and that
Back to Sleep information in education packets would reach 2.5
million mothers each year. 9

122

Corporate Social Marketing

And in Canada the company supported the creation and distrib-
ution of promotional door hangers, distributed educational pam-
phlets to new mothers through the majority of Canadian
hospitals, and promoted SIDS awareness through its own adver-
tising campaigns. 10

Building Traffic

As noted early in this article, social marketing campaigns influence be-
haviors, and corporations can leverage these behaviors to increase sales
of their products, especially through increased traffic. RadioShack, for
example, developed a program that provided a variety of materials and
tools for families to help keep children safer from abduction and abuse.
One campaign element included offering 800,000 free "Child ID" kits
at all RadioShack stores nationwide. 11 Best Buy also demonstrates this
traffic-building opportunity.

Figure 5.2 A "just-in-time" message that appeared on Pampers
newborn diapers. (Reprinted courtesy of National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development. )

Potential Corporate Benefits

123

Figure 5.3 Used electronic equipment is recycled at Best Buy stores,
providing opportunities for upgrades and increased sales. (Reprinted
courtesy of Best Buy.)

Example: Best Buy and Recycling Electronic Equipment 12

In summer 2001, Best Buy was among the first electronics re-
tailers to offer consumers recycling opportunities across the
country, leveraging the fact that an estimated 50 million com-
puters and televisions are thrown away annually, increasing
concerns about landfills and hazardous waste management as
well as hazardous materials.

The program encourages consumers to drop off old and unwanted
computers, monitors, televisions, VCRs, and other electronic
items at select Best Buy stores during specified weekends (see Fig-
ure 5.3). A handling fee is charged for CRT-containing items.
Best Buy plans to form partnerships with local government agen-
cies, manufacturers, and waste management companies.

This national rollout was launched after a two-day pilot event in
autumn 2000 at one of Best Buy's Minnesota stores resulted in a
two-day collection of 22 tons of equipment, enough to fill two
semitruck trailers. 13 Partners included local government agencies
as well. The program was announced at an annual luncheon of

124

Corporate Social Marketing

the Electronics Product Recovery and Recycling (EPR2) Con-
ference, attended by government agencies, academia, nonprofit
organizations, electronics manufacturers, and recycling compa-
nies. 14 Best Buy incorporated messages regarding the recycling
events in radio and print ads and on their web site.

For Best Buy, this strategy captures opportunities for computer
upgrades, builds traffic in their stores with their target audiences,
and builds their brand through positive value associations.

Increasing Sales

Perhaps the most attractive of benefit of social marketing initiatives is
the potential for increased product sales. This is often possible when
there are natural ties with the products and services of corporations that
can support desired behaviors (e.g., booster seats, blood pressure moni-
toring equipment, water conserving appliances, baby safety gates, smoke
alarms, mulch mowers, compost bins, exercise equipment, water bottles,
and bike helmets). The following case makes this point well.

Example: Mustang Survival Life Vest
and Drowning Prevention 15

Mustang Survival, a life vest manufacturer interested in in-
creased share in the child life vest market, enthusiastically ac-
cepted an invitation in the early 1990s to partner with
Washington state's Children's Hospital and Regional Medical
Center's drowning prevention campaign. After all, the campaign
focused on influencing parents to put life vests on their children
when on beaches, docks, or boats, in open water, and around
swimming pools.

Mustang Survival provided funds for advertisements, featuring
the Mustang logo, and for educational materials and displays.
It donated life vests for loan programs on public beaches;
provided discount coupons for its life vest that were distrib-
uted by coalition partners (see Figure 5.4); and created retail
displays featuring drowning prevention messages along with
its life vests.

Potential Corporate Benefits

125

SAVE $5.00 on a Mustang
Children's Life Vest!

IWRBWW Iwi i wp

Figure 5.4 Coupons distributed by drowning prevention coalition
partners assisted Mustang in capturing more of the child life vest market.
(Reprinted courtesy of Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional
Medical Center.)

After the first year of this campaign, Mustang reported an in-
crease over the prior season of more than 25 percent in this new
market; children's life vest ownership and life vest usage in-
creased significantly among parents aware of the campaign.

Improving Profitability Through Reducing Costs

Social marketing campaigns can even contribute to corporate profitabil-
ity by influencing behaviors that can reduce operating costs or expenses.
Prime examples are in the utility sectors (e.g., influencing homeowners
to reduce peak energy loads) as well as health care and insurance indus-
tries, where health promotion and injury prevention can save costs of de-
livering health care.

Example: Premera Blue Cross and
Judicious Use of Antibiotics 16

In general, health experts agree that up to 50 percent of all an-
tibiotic treatment may be unnecessary. This issue directly af-
fects public health, overall health care costs, and, to a lesser
extent, the profitability of organizations such as Premera Blue
Cross, a regional health plan in Washington, Oregon, and

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Corporate Social Marketing

Alaska. In an effort to help reduce the local threat of bacteria
growing increasingly resistant to antibiotics, Premera joined a
coalition that included the Washington State Medical Associa-
tion and the Washington State Department of Health to pro-
mote the judicious use of antibiotics.

Campaign activities include the following:

• Targeting physicians through printed materials and educa-
tional symposiums, and reporting on individual physician
prescribing patterns.

• Targeting members through newsletters, posters, and
brochures with clear behavior messages: Don't pressure
your doctor to prescribe antibiotics; finish the full course;
and never save the medication. (See Figure 5.5.)

• Targeting the community through news articles in major
newspapers.

Wash your hands often

with soap and warm water
to prevent the spread of colds

Antibacterial soaps are
not nBeded

Premera I

ealth

IvNOW COMMON
SyMP+OMS 3NI>

Figure 5.5 Campaign poster to encourage judicious use of
antibiotics is also expected to result in savings for Premera Blue
Cross. (Reprinted courtesy of Washington State Department of
Health and Premera Blue Cross.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

127

In 2001, Premera estimated that a potential savings on overpre-
scribing for upper respiratory infections alone could reduce
health care cost by $8 million per year for this health plan and
its members alone (1.1 million members).

Attracting Enthusiastic and Credible Partners

The social marketing initiative, perhaps more than others, is likely to be
welcomed and supported by public sector agencies, nonprofit organiza-
tions, foundations, and special interest groups often charged with goals
and performance measures for influencing public behaviors (e.g., reduc-
ing incidence of obesity in children). These organizations and agencies
in return offer support in the form of endorsements, expertise, networks,
and shared distribution channels, as illustrated in the following example
for Dole.

Example: Dole and 5 A Day

The "5 A Day" program was launched by the National Cancer
Institute in 1991 with a mission to promote the consumption of
at least five servings of vegetables and fruit per day as a way to
reduce the risk of chronic diseases. 17

Unlike initiatives of many government health promotions,
the 5 A Day program relies heavily on private industry to
achieve its goal of increasing vegetable and fruit consumption.
Partners in several industries have stepped forward, including
national grocery store chains, produce growers, distributors,
and trade organizations.

The Dole Food Company was a welcomed partner and one of
the original program sponsors, contributing to the program since
its beginning. Programs Dole has developed to support this effort
to encourage children and their families to eat five to nine serv-
ings of fruits and vegetables a day include the following: 18

• 5 A Day Adventures CD-ROM.

• "Jammin' 5 A Day" music.

• "Fun with Fruits & Vegetables" kids' cookbook.

• "How'd You Do Your 5 Today?" Chart.

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Corporate Social Marketing

• "5 A Day Live!" musical performance kit.

• Dole 5 A Day web site (see Figure 5.6).

• "5 A Day Friends" e-mail.

• 5 A Day Student Ambassadors.

• 5 A Day Supermarket Tours.

Dole's contribution to the program is acknowledged by educa-
tors, children, parents, and U.S. government health and educa-
tion agencies for following important principles including
maintaining integrity of nutritional messages, creating noncom-
mercial materials and programs, maintaining a strong partner-
ship with the National Cancer Institute, and supporting the
national 5 A Day for Better Health campaign. 19

Between 1991 and 2003, the Dole 5 A Day program provided
free nutrition education materials to more than 38,000 schools
and 115,000 elementary teachers in the United States. 20

Figure 5.6 A logo that provides a strong co-branding message.
(Courtesy of Dole Food Company, Inc.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

129

Having a Real Impact on Social Change

Perhaps more than any other social initiative, social marketing has the
potential for impacting positive behaviors of large populations, and thus
having an impact on social change. Support from organizations like 7-
Eleven can make or break efforts to reduce litter.

Example: 7 -Eleven and Litter Prevention

"Don't Mess With Texas" is a tough-talking litter prevention
campaign sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation.
This social marketing campaign launched in 1986 seeks to per-
suade Texans to keep their trash in the car and off the roads —
and apparently it is working. Between 1995 and 2001, litter
thrown on Texas highways decreased by more than 50 percent
and cigarette butt litter decreased by 70 percent. 21

7-Eleven, Inc.'s decision to support the campaign made sense on
a couple of fronts. First, research indicates similarities in the de-
mographic profiles between convenience store customers and
people who litter. Those littering are more likely than most to
eat fast food at least three times a week, be under age 24, and
drive more than 50 miles a day. Second, 7-Eleven is said to have
coined the phrase "dashboard diner®," as it is known for its
portable food and drink offerings and, as a good corporate citi-
zen, wants to encourage proper disposal of its containers. Corpo-
rate leaders viewed the partnership as a way for 7-Eleven to have
a major impact, because of the large number of state residents
coming to their stores each day. 22

Campaign activities supported by 7-Eleven included in 2001
posting a 6-by-12-inch decal on sales counters, encouraging cus-
tomers to "Dine on the Dash but Stash Your Trash" (see Figure
5.7). 7-Eleven unveiled what is believed to be the worlds' largest
trash bag at a "Don't Mess With Texas" local rally and cleanup
event that offered customers a chance to practice tossing trash
into a bag while enjoying refreshments. Each store had decals
identifying it as a "Don't Mess with Texas" partner posted on the
door and at the gas islands. Volunteers from Keep Texas Beauti-
ful conducted spot checks for litter at 7-Eleven stores and ranked

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Corporate Social Marketing

their exterior appearance. Feedback was then routed to the ap-
propriate 7-Eleven management personnel. 23

It was estimated that more than a quarter of a million customers
shopped nearly 300 Texas 7-Eleven stores each day and saw the
antilittering message, which included a reminder about the
state's $500 maximum fine for each littering violation.

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

Several significant potential downsides of social marketing campaigns
need to be acknowledged and planned for.

Some issues are not a good match for the corporation. Consumers
tend to be skeptical about the motivations that a corporation has for pro-
moting or supporting a social issue. It might even be said they have a
nose for hidden agendas and will be quick to judge the sincerity and au-
thenticity of the effort. In Chapter 2, for example, we described a social
marketing initiative that McDonald's uses to promote timely childhood
immunizations. Compare your reaction to this focus to one where a dif-
ferent fast-food restaurant focused on physical activity for children and
handed out brochures on recommended exercise levels for children at
various ages to avoid childhood obesity. Could this gesture be interpreted

Figure 5.7 This anti-littering message leveraged 7 -Eleven's
dashboard diner® phrase with strong reach and frequency. (Reprinted
courtesy of 7-Eleven.)

Potential Concerns

131

by many as a way to justify fast-food eating habits? Similarly, note the po-
tential difference in acceptance and believability between an initiative
where a tobacco company sponsors a campaign to increase the number of
receptacles available for cigarette butts and to promote their use, versus a
campaign to encourage parents to talk with their children about smok-
ing. Will some people doubt the sincerity of the tobacco company's pro-
fessed desire to prevent teens from smoking?

For many issues and initiatives, clinical and technical expertise needs
to be sought. Many behaviors appropriate for social marketing cam-
paigns need to be grounded and supported by professional opinions
(e.g., campaigns for diabetes prevention and control, reducing choles-
terol, natural gardening, and protection from the West Nile Virus). As
mentioned earlier, this is the advantage and perhaps necessity of seek-
ing partners in the public or nonprofit sector with expertise in the area
of focus.

Behavior change and, therefore, impact does not often happen
overnight. Internal publics especially will need to be warned up-front
that the campaign will have milestones and that interim measures that
indicate progress will need to be established and monitored. A litter re-
duction campaign, for example, may focus the first year on creating
awareness of fines, the second year on convincing citizens that fines will
be enforced, with real behavior change not expected until the third year
of the campaign.

Be prepared for criticism from those who view social marketing cam-
paigns as none of your business. Some citizen groups believe fervently
that campaigns about issues that seem to only impact the individual
(e.g., smoking) are interfering with personal rights and should not be of
concern to governmental agencies or corporations. In some states where
primary seat belt laws have been adopted, for example, citizen groups
have been known to advocate for reversal of these policies, arguing that
if someone wants to "kill themselves" by not wearing a seat belt, that's
the individual's choice and right. The best preparation for these situa-
tions is to provide facts regarding potential harm to others (e.g., statistics
on increased diseases for children living in homes with a parent who
smokes) and impact on public tax dollars (e.g., emergency medical costs
for injuries that could have been prevented by a seat belt).

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Corporate Social Marketing

Recognize that developing, even supporting a social marketing cam-
paign involves more than writing a check. To work well, these cam-
paigns involve more staff time for planning, implementation, and
coordination with partners; more integration into current media and dis-
tribution channels; increased attention to monitoring and tracking re-
sults; and vigilance in keeping updated on trends and events relative to
the social issue and related behaviors.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

The following three cases illustrate important principles for successful
corporate social marketing campaigns. Highlights include an emphasis
on selecting an issue that leverages the company's core business, em-
ployee passions, and current marketing strategies; the importance of de-
veloping strong and credible partnerships; and the need for long-term
plans and commitments.

Crest's Healthy Smiles 2010 Initiative

Brand managers at Procter & Gamble (P&G) consider their Crest
Healthy Smiles 2010 initiative a real success (see Figure 5.8). The fol-
lowing is their story of how this initiative was selected, activities that

Figure 5.8 Logo for Crest's "Healthy Smiles 2010" program, which
includes public/private partnerships to improve oral health, particularly
among underserved minorities. (Reprinted courtesy of P&G.)

Keys to Success

133

were involved, benefits to the brand as well as the cause, and perspec-
tives on keys to this success.

The Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 (CHS2010) initiative was launched
in May 2000 in response to the Surgeon General's report describing
oral health as a "silent epidemic" in our country, particularly among
underserved minorities. In his report, he called for public -private
partnerships to close the disparity gap in oral care by the year 2010.
As a leader in oral care and historically committed to improving oral
health beyond merely selling our products, this call to action was
clear and a challenge we felt confident we could address in a mean-
ingful way. Procter & Gamble's core values include improving con-
sumers' lives. Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 is consistent with what we
stand for as a company.

To support CHS2010, Crest provides education, access to dental
care, and oral care tools to underserved communities through part-
nerships with community and nonprofit organizations. Through a
partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, every Club
across the country was designated a "Cavity Free Zone," a place
where oral health is a priority. A curriculum was developed to be
taught in these Clubs, and access to dental care is provided through
Crest Smile Shop dental clinics located within Clubs as well as in
mobile dental units operated in partnership with leading dental
schools. Additionally, Crest supports dental professionals and orga-
nizations with product and educational materials so they may bring
education to their local communities. Finally, national advertising
and public relations efforts were deployed to raise awareness about
the oral health crisis and highlight Crest's role and commitment to
closing the disparity gap. Funding for activities came from the Oral
Care category within P&G

In terms of benefits for the brand, this initiative has accom-
plished the following:

• Reinforced Crest's commitment to improving oral health.

• Positioned the brand as a leader in Oral Care.

• Built equity for the brand.

• Created goodwill among the dental community — both individ-
ual dentists/hygienists as well as professional organizations such
as the American Dental Association and state/local societies.

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Corporate Social Marketing

• Delivered significant PR value, driving multiple consumer
impressions on both a national and local level, and included
influencers (former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher, the
American Dental Association), celebrities (Hank Aaron,
Vanessa Williams), professionals, and consumer advocates.

• Generated incremental sales for the brand through partner-
ships with key retailers.

For the issue of oral health, to date the Crest Healthy Smiles pro-
gram has touched over 35 million consumers with education, access
to dental care, and/or oral care tools. Crest has raised awareness
about the oral care crisis and impacted positive change at the com-
munity and national level.

Keys to this success include:

• Gaining senior management support.

• Choosing a cause that aligned perfectly with Crest's vision,
mission, equity, and core competencies.

• Staying focused on a specific audience and purpose, one
where we knew we could make a difference.

• Clearly defining up-front the scope of the project and funding
levels.

• Committing to having a real social impact and developing
plans to deliver outcomes.

• Setting clear business objectives, goals, and measures of success.

• Having an infrastructure that supported national as well as
grassroots efforts.

• Forming mutually beneficial partnerships, ones with shared
visions and missions, ones that would extend our reach at lo-
cal levels and create goodwill and loyalty for the brand (e.g.
Boys 6k Girls Clubs).

• Engaging employees to be ambassadors for the cause.

• Recognizing our limitations and enrolling experts for guid-
ance (i.e., American Dental Association).

Safeco's FireFree Initiative

Safeco, an insurance and investment company based in Seattle, Wash-
ington, has been in business for 80 years "to help people protect what
they value and secure their financial future." 24

Keys to Success

135

"FireFree" is a national public campaign designed by Safeco to in-
crease resident participation in wildfire defense and mitigation behaviors
(see Figure 5.9). It encourages homeowners to take 10 steps to create de-
fensible space around their homes. Rose Lincoln, assistant vice president
and director of community relations, describes a model for social initia-
tives that Safeco thinks works.

Safeco developed FireFree in reaction to two fires in the 1990s in the
Bend, Oregon, area. Both fires resulted in significant damage to
property, including the outright loss of over 50 homes. When we ap-
proached fire officials about providing a grant, they instead suggested
the company create an awareness campaign focused on teaching
homeowners that by taking just 10 simple steps — a weekend's worth
of work — they can create defensible space around their property and
lessen the chance of loss in the event of a fire.

In 1996, a $150,000 grant went toward the development of cam-
paign materials that promoted "10 Tips to Wildfire Defense." A
video and brochure were created for firefighters to use in educating
communities. In 1997 the campaign was launched in Bend with a
citywide cleanup. Print, television, and radio ads promoted the
event and the 10 tips.

We continue to spend about $50,000 each year to produce and
distribute brochures and videos that are available at no charge to fire

Figure 5.9 Logo for Safeco's program promoting "10 Tips to
Wildfire Defense." (Reprinted courtesy of Safeco.)

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Corporate Social Marketing

officials and to Safeco agents across the country who live and work
in wildfire-prone areas and want to mobilize their communities to
defend against wildfire. Safeco's Community Relations department
provides the funding. As of September 2003, the company had
shared nearly 165,000 brochures and over 750 videos in approxi-
mately 500 cities and 36 states across the country.

In Bend, the message continues to be delivered via mass media
advertising, a public speakers program, and through educational ma-
terials. There is also an annual awareness campaign in the spring
that closes with weekend cleanups coordinated by local fire and
forestry officials, homeowner associations, and volunteer FireFree
neighborhood coordinators. In other cities, fire officials leverage lo-
cal organizations' talents, including media, to maximize the reach of
the program.

Having Safeco's name tied to a program that helps people pre-
vent loss has had both brand equity and brand preference benefits.
We believe in the research that concludes that people prefer to buy
products from companies that care. We feel that having Safeco's
name tied to a program that helps people prevent loss increases our
reputation as a caring company and will help us rise to the top when
consumers are looking for insurance and investment products.

Although we haven't tracked the outcomes in each area we've
sent materials, we continue to get positive feedback as well as re-
quests from new organizations that have seen the materials and are
interested in implementing the program in their communities.

In 2003, we sent out a national news release based on a survey
conducted in late 2002 in four wildfire-prone areas (Denver, Col-
orado; Flagstaff, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; and Bend, Ore-
gon). The survey showed that 8 of 10 people in those areas were
concerned about wildfire, and that people who are concerned about
wildfire and know there are things they can do to lessen their chance
of loss will take action.

We know that the more we create awareness of the importance
of defensible space, the more people will take action and less loss
will occur during fires. Ultimately, FireFree has the potential to re-
duce claims in the event of a wildfire. People living in wildfire-
prone areas, specifically Bend, are now aware of simple steps they
can take to reduce potential loss in the event of a fire, and they take
those steps.

Keys to Success

137

We strongly recommend several keys to success:

• Focus on an issue that aligns with a core business issue or cor-
porate strength.

• Select an initiative that will leverage a majority of your cor-
porate citizenship work.

• Build partnerships with knowledgeable organizations — those
with common goals and interests. Use the partnerships to cre-
ate programs that will have the best possible impact and most
positive outcomes. This will create a far-reaching campaign
that has larger impact than if it were kept solely within the
corporation's sphere of influence. And the results are far more
powerful than just writing a check.

• Ensure that local distributors and participants in the program
are given a clear role in campaign efforts and are provided
necessary training and resources.

This social marketing initiative has convinced us that people are in-
terested in taking personal responsibility when armed with the facts
and when they understand the consequences of inaction.

The Home Depot and Water — Use It Wisely

The Home Depot, a home improvement retailer with over 1,300 loca-
tions and more than 250,000 associates, has a commitment to give back
to the communities where customers live and their associates work. They
call it "Doing Good and Doing Well." 25 In 2001, they reported investing
$25 million to support communities and over six million volunteer
hours. 26 The following social marketing initiative in Arizona illustrates
the benefits of a strong private/public/not-for-profit and media partner-
ship to encourage behavior changes in the way people use water. Home
Depot's story is told by Park Howell, president of Park and Company, the
marketing firm that created the Water — Use It Wisely campaign and the
"100 Ways in 30 Days to Save Water" promotion. 27

In the summer of 2003, The Home Depot in Arizona joined with
"Water — Use It Wisely," a national water conservation campaign
that incorporates education, community outreach, and mass media,
to encourage citizens to save water by showing them how. The ma-
jority of the 100-plus water-saving tips at the core of the campaign

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Corporate Social Marketing

encourage behavioral changes in the way people use water, includ-
ing specific recommendations such as use a hose nozzle; sweep your
driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them off; and turn your
sprinklers back in the fall. The "100 Ways in 30 Days to Save Wa-
ter" promotion provided a focused, month-long forum where the
city and other "Water — Use It Wisely" partners sponsored weekend
water conservation workshops in 39 Arizona Home Depot stores.
Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, the Arizona Department of Water Re-
sources, and 1 7 other "Water — Use It Wisely" partners teamed with
Home Depot to develop a comprehensive conservation training
program for the home improvement retailer's customers. The city
and state conservation experts first trained more than 120 Home
Depot managers and their assistants, who in turn trained their store
employees, to host weekend conservation classes. Each week fea-
tured a new topic. Additionally, Salt River Project (SRP), the
Phoenix metropolitan area's largest wholesale water provider and an
ongoing campaign partner, cosponsored the promotion, providing
considerable financial and media support. Additionally, SRP pro-
vided numerous in-kind services including printing of the in-store
banners, which contributed to the overall awareness and success of
the event.

In-store banners, signage, and a 24-page color consumer guide on
water conservation were the primary campaign elements (see Figure
5.10). Awareness was created through statewide advertising and pub-
lic relations efforts, water bill inserts, NFL Cardinal's football game
promotion, and grassroots-level communication via the local Home
Depot stores, including in-store signage and banners, Home Depot as-
sociate shirts, and buttons. Additionally, wateruseitwisely.com pro-
vided the Web portal for detailed information on the 100 ways to
conserve water.

Media sponsors bolstered the statewide TV advertising effort
with a 95 percent household reach in Arizona. In addition to a
$100,000 media buy, News Channel 3 provided extensive news cov-
erage on the promotion, featured it on its Saturday garden show, and
allowed the use of its TV personality, Dave Owens, "The Garden
Guy." Public relations efforts where coordinated by Park & Co., the
creators of the "Water — Use It Wisely" campaign, with Home Depot
and SRP support. Additional funding for print advertising was sup-
plied by the City of Phoenix. The promotion generated more than

Keys to Success

139

Figure 5.10 This brochure for a public/private partnership featured
water-saving devices and clinics available at Home Depot. (Reprinted
courtesy of Park & Company and Home Depot.)

4-3 million customer impressions through Arizona Home Depots and
millions of impressions through the media. Approximately 40,000
consumer conservation guides were distributed, as well as more than
60,000 "Watering by the Numbers" irrigation guides and countless
conservation brochures.

Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) was selected as the statewide
charity to benefit from the promotion, which included Home Depot
retrofitting fixtures and installing low-water-use landscapes in CPLC
neighborhoods, offering a very visible example of Home Depot's
commitment to its communities and the environment.

From Home Depot's perspective, this effort helped to meet sev-
eral marketing objectives, including the following:

• Partnering with city and state water conservation officials in a
concerted effort to bring conservation training and informa-
tion to the public.

• Reinforcing Home Depot's and SRP's positions as leaders in
environmental initiatives.

• Reinforcing Home Depot's and SRP's character of being good
neighbors.

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Corporate Social Marketing

• Generating retail sales of water conservation products, in-
cluding everything from hose nozzles and water-efficient
showerheads and toilets, to low-water-use plants and irriga-
tion systems.

What we believe worked well about this effort is that the cause
aligned perfectly with Home Depot's environmental initiatives, and
its senior management was instrumental in bringing together all 39
stores for a day of intensive conservation training with the cities and
state, a training that led to the ultimate success of the weekend
workshops.

A strong recommendation is to get as many people, experts, and
organizations involved as possible who are in step with your vision.

WHEN SHOULD A CORPORATE SOCIAL
MARKETING INITIATIVE BE CONSIDERED?

Based on the unique characteristic of social marketing campaigns (a fo-
cus on behavior change), the following situations should signal an op-
portunity to consider the social marketing option:

• When the primary objectives of an initiative are to support cor-
porate marketing goals and objectives, versus corporate giving
or community involvement agendas (e.g., an electronics store
wants to build traffic and advertises that according to the public
health department, it's time to check your home fire alarm bat-
teries this weekend, a discount special on them is available in
all its locations).

• When the issue the organization wants to support (e.g., healthy
children) is one that has the potential for an individual behavior
change component (e.g., a fast-food restaurant teams up with the
local children's hospital and community health clinics to print an
immunization schedule on tray liners).

• When the dollars for support of the initiative are coming primar-
ily from the marketing department and can therefore be managed
and integrated into marketing communications (e.g., a produce
company putting the national "5 A Day" logo on packaging, ad-
vertisements, and coupons).

Developing a Corporate Social Marketing Campaign Plan 141

• When the behavior can be tied to one or more corporate products
and then integrated into their features, pricing, distribution chan-
nels, and promotions (e.g., a life vest manufacturer attaching wa-
ter safety tips to labels, creating retail displays on how to choose a
life vest that's right for your child, and then distributing discount
coupons via a local children's hospital).

DEVELOPING A CORPORATE

SOCIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN PLAN

A planned approach is key to success, the following eight steps and prin-
ciples are recommended for developing a strategic social marketing
plan. 28 It is also highly recommended that partners be identified prior to
this formal planning process and be involved in developing each step of
the plan.

1. Conduct a situation analysis, which begins with a statement of
campaign purpose and focus, as well as an analysis of internal
strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats.
Special efforts should be made at this step to review past and sim-
ilar campaigns for lessons learned, as well as potential for replica-
tion (e.g. the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to enforce seat belt
use, adopted by many states across the nation, was initiated by
one state, North Carolina).

2. Select target audiences, starting with those who have the greatest
need, are easiest to reach, are the best match for the organizations
involved, and are most ready for action (e.g., newly pregnant
women as a focus for a tobacco "Quitline").

3. Set behavior objectives (the desired behavior) and behavior change
goals. One key to success at this step is to establish behavior ob-
jectives that are single, simple, doable acts that become the core
of the campaign effort (e.g., put an infant on its back to sleep).
Quantifiable goals are established in terms of behavior change in
the targeted population, similar to sales goals in the corporate
marketing model.

4. Determine barriers and motivations to behavior change. Identify per-
ceived costs and benefits to the desired behavior, as they provide

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Corporate Social Marketing

rich material for developing strategies. In addition, it is at this
stage that we also identify the competition, namely behaviors the
target audience is currently doing or prefers to do (e.g., placing
infants on their stomach).

5. Develop the marketing mix, including product, price, place, and
promotional strategies, ones that uniquely and strategically ad-
dress the barriers and motivations that target audiences have for
adopting the desired behavior. A few keys to success for each of
these four Ps include the following:

• Product: Include a tangible object or service in the cam-
paign, something that will facilitate the desired behavior
(e.g., litterbags handed out by mini-marts in support of a
state litter prevention campaign).

• Price: Look for nonmonetary forms of recognition that add
value to the exchange (e.g., Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary
plaques for homeowners agreeing to natural yard care prac-
tices, provided by a local nursery).

• Place: Look for ways to make performing the desired behav-
ior convenient (e.g., dental care offered in mobile vans
sponsored by an insurance company).

• Promotion: Develop messages prior to selecting media chan-
nels. Focus on messages that are clear, vivid, and concrete
(e.g., "Don't Mess With Texas") and media channels that
provide constant reminders and are sustainable over time
(e.g., state road signs with litter fines and corporate sponsor
names).

6. Develop a plan for evaluation and monitoring. Evaluation should be
based on measuring behavior change goals established in step 3,
providing a real outcome measure. In addition, evaluation plans
can be developed to measure changes in awareness and attitudes,
as well as campaign processes (e.g., reach and frequency of cam-
paigns and dissemination of materials).

7. Establish budgets and find funding sources. Opportunities should
be explored for corporate partnerships with all sectors: public
agencies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and special in-
terest groups.

Summary

143

8. Complete an implementation plan. A three-year plan is ideal, recog-
nizing that behavior change may be slow to come and that time is
often needed to educate, change attitudes, and provide infrastruc-
tures to support behavior change (e.g., more litter receptacles).

SUMMARY

Corporate social marketing is most clearly distinguished from other cor-
porate social initiatives by its focus on individual behavior change, changes
that will help improve health, prevent injuries, protect the environment,
and increase community involvement. Potential corporate benefits are
greatest for supporting marketing goals and objectives including strength-
ening brand positioning, creating brand preference, building traffic, and
increasing sales. Potential and significant additional benefits beyond mar-
keting include improving profitability and making a real social impact.

Several concerns and potential pitfalls with corporate social market-
ing campaigns are real. Some social issues, although important, are not
an authentic fit for the corporation. For many issues and initiatives, clin-
ical and technical expertise needs to be sought. Behavior change, and
therefore impact, does not often happen overnight, and key publics and
partners need to be forewarned. Be prepared for criticism from those who
view social marketing campaigns as "none of your business." And recog-
nize that developing, even supporting a social marketing campaign in-
volves more than just writing a check.

Corporate managers experienced in these campaigns emphasize sev-
eral keys to success: Pick an issue connected to the organization's core
business, employees, and current marketing strategies; focus on an initia-
tive that has the potential for a long-term commitment; gain manage-
ment support; partner with public sector and nonprofit organizations who
can provide expertise, credibility, and extended reach into communities;
and develop solid plans (up-front) with established funding, measurable
goals, and clear roles and responsibilities. Finally, as with any strategic
marketing effort, a sequential planning process is fundamental and will
involve audience research and utilization of all key marketing tools.

CHAPTER

Corporate Philanthropy:

Making a Direct
Contribution to a Cause

"Your ads are obnoxious. Sunny is disgusting in them. We swore we
would rather sleep on concrete than buy a bed from you because of her
ads. But we came because of your role in the community and we stayed
because of the service we received at your store."

— Comment card given to CEO Sunny
Kobe Cook, Sleep Country U.S.A.

Corporate philanthropy is a direct contribution by a corporation to a
charity or cause, most often in the form of cash grants, donations
and/or in-kind services. It is perhaps the most traditional of all
corporate social initiatives and has historically been a major source of
support for community health and human service agencies, education,
and the arts, as well as organizations with missions to protect the envi-
ronment. These corporate donations are often critical to a nonprofit's
operating budgets, capital expenditures, and special projects, filling the
gap between expenses and revenues from programs and contributions
from individual donors. Other terminology most closely associated with

144

Typical Programs

145

this initiative includes community giving, community relations, corpo-
rate citizenship, and community affairs.

Some models and definitions include employee volunteerism as a
form of corporate philanthropy. We have distinguished community vol-
unteering as a separate initiative in Chapter 7, as it has unique charac-
teristics related to corporate benefits, potential concerns, keys for
success, and decision making related to developing and implementing
corporate programs. Similarly, we earlier distinguished cause promotions
from philanthropy as those communication-oriented initiatives focused
on efforts specifically designed to increase awareness and concern about
a particular issue.

Most agree that the character of corporate philanthropy has matured
over the decades, primarily in response to internal and external pressures
to balance concerns for shareholder wealth with expectations to demon-
strate responsibility for communities contributing to the corporation's
livelihood. 1 Perhaps the most consistent response has been to move to a
more strategic approach to selecting social issues to support, with an in-
creased tendency to choose an area of focus and to tie philanthropic ac-
tivities to the company's business goals and objectives. Second, there
appear to be more long-term relationships being developed with non-
profit organizations, ones that look more like a partnership than a casual
acquaintance or one-night stand. Third, corporations have expanded
their options for giving beyond cash donations to include contributions
of other (often less costly) corporate resources such as excess products,
use of distribution channels, and technical expertise. Fourth, we see in-
creased interest in involving employees in decision making regarding the
prioritization and selection of recipients for philanthropic programs.
Fifth, as with other initiatives, the spotlight appears to be fixed on deter-
mining ways to track and measure outcomes, even rates of return on con-
tributions. Finally, as a reflection of globalization, giving has now
expanded to include international communities where corporations are
also doing business. 2

TYPICAL PROGRAMS

Philanthropic efforts commonly involve selecting a cause that reflects a
priority area for the corporation, determining the type of contribution to

146

Corporate Philanthropy

be made, and identifying a recipient for contributions, most often an ex-
isting nonprofit organization, foundation, or public agency such as a
school. The range of options for giving are summarized here and, as indi-
cated, are varied, with trends mentioned earlier that are breaking from
the tradition of cash donations to creative giving strategies that make
use of other (sometimes idle) corporate resources.

• Providing cash donations (e.g., making contributions to United
Way, providing financial support for a YMCA teen program, or
making a donation to provide emergency funding for those who
lost their jobs as a result of the attacks of 9/1 1 )

• Offering grants (e.g., providing a grant to a nonprofit organization
to help with startup costs for offering voice mail for homeless peo-
ple who are job hunting, or offering grants to nonprofit organiza-
tions and schools to support environmental education)

• Awarding scholarships (e.g., scholarships that enable minority stu-
dents to attend college and pursue a career in restaurant manage-
ment, or scholarships for high school students in a third world
country to spend their senior year as an exchange student in the
United States)

• Donating products (e.g., providing used shoes that can be recycled
for athletic tracks, or infant car seats that can be given to families in
need when leaving the hospital; or a local diner bringing cheese-
burgers and milkshakes to a homeless shelter several nights a week)

• Donating services (e.g., printing child immunization schedules for a
community health clinic, providing call center support for a hot-
line to report littering on freeways, or offering free dental care for
families in a domestic violence shelter)

• Providing technical expertise (e.g., sharing strategies for setting up
inventory control systems, or reviewing health education materi-
als for technical content regarding nutritional guidelines)

• Allowing the use of facilities and distribution channels (e.g., car dealer-
ships that make room for car seat inspections, or grocery stores
that provide space for collection of canned goods for food banks)

• Offering the use of equipment (e.g., vans for transporting materials
for a science exhibit to schools, or medical equipment offered for
use at a health fair)

Potential Benefits

147

Recipients of these contributions are most often existing nonprofits
and foundations in the community, and may even have an existing rela-
tionship with the corporation. They may also be public agencies such as
schools or foundations that have been created by the corporation and
that then manage and distribute funds. As noted in Table 6.1, there may
be additional partners in the effort, even some that also provide funding
for the cause.

Guidelines for determining levels of giving vary. Many companies
budget their donations based on the prior year's income. Some target a
percentage of pretax earnings. Business for Social Responsibility de-
scribes giving patterns in its "Issue Brief on Philanthropy," including an
estimate that "the average pretax percentage-level of corporate giving
ranges from 1.3 percent (according to the American Association of
Fundraising Counsel) to 0.7 percent (according to the Conference
Board)." 3 In 2002 Forbes reported giving levels of the top "Forbes 500"
companies, looking at cash donations in 2002 as a percentage of operat-
ing income in 2001. It then ranked companies with the top scores, in-
cluding Target (cash giving at 2.56 percent of operating income),
MetLife (2.51 percent), Albertson's (2.42 percent), Best Buy (2.05 per-
cent), Ford Motor (1.76 percent), Cisco Systems (1.6 percent), Ameri-
can Express (1.39 percent), DuPont (1.33 percent), Altria Group (1.29
percent), and J. P. Morgan Chase (1.21 percent). 4

Table 6.1 highlights examples of philanthropic programs for a variety
of firms, for a variety of causes.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

On the surface, involvement in philanthropic activities appears to con-
tribute most to the image and regard for the corporation among its varied
publics, including customers, employees, and community organizations,
especially ones that track and report on corporate giving. Many man-
agers point to increased respect and community good will and a stronger
desired brand position.

In an article in the Harvard Business Review in 2002, Michael Porter
and Mark Kramer argue that philanthropic activities can (and should)
go beyond generating goodwill. They cite examples of how activities can
enhance a company's productivity (e.g., Exxon Mobil making substantial
donations to improve roads in developing countries where it operates),

Table 6. 1 Examples of Corporate Philanthropy Initiatives

Corporation

Cause

Major Contributions

Recipient(s)

Major Partners

ConAgra Foods

Children's hunger

Funding
Delivery trucks
Tracking system
technology

Food hanks nationwide
Children

America's Second

Harvest
Local children's

programs and

charities

General Electric

Outdoor lighting at
national landmarks

Anti-glare fixtures
Grants

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone
Foundation

National Parks
Service

The New York Times Journalism
Foundation

Cash contributions
Institutes for journalists

Universities
Students

Universities
Experts in the field
of journalism

General Motors

Highway safety

Funding and providing
vans for car seat
inspections and delivery
of M ADD program
materials

National SAFE Kids

Campaign®
Mothers Against Drunk

Drivers (MADD)

Dealerships
United Auto

Workers
NAACP

General Mills

Childhood nutrition and
physical activity

Grants for local

community organizations

Local nonprofits,
community
organizations, and
schools

American Dietetic
Association
Foundation

Kenneth Cole

Homelessness, AIDS,
handgun control and
safety, children in
domestic violence
shelters

Cash contributions to
nonprofit organizations
and foundations

Cause promotions in
advertising

Several nonprofit
organizations and
foundations with
missions supporting
these causes

Major nonprofits
with missions
related to major
causes

Microsoft

Technology skills

Grants in cash and
software

Underserved

communities worldwide

Community-hased
technology learning
centers

Costco

Wholesale

Early learning and
child care

Funding to support
opening of a child
care center

Early Learning and

Family Childcare Center

Bellevue

Community College

REI

Conservation and
outdoor recreation

Grants

Nonprofit organizations
and community groups

Employees

150

Corporate Philanthropy

expand markets (e.g., Apple Computer donating computers to schools,
increasing the usage and appeal of their systems), and ensure a strong fu-
ture workforce (e.g., American Express supporting training for students
pursuing careers in travel agencies). 5

The following examples point to these as well as additional benefits
from involvement in corporate philanthropic activities, including
strengthening the company's industry (e.g., the New York Times educat-
ing and inspiring journalists), gaining the satisfaction of having a signifi-
cant impact on societal problems (e.g., grants from General Mills to
support local youth nutrition and fitness programs), and leveraging the
availability of excess or idle corporate resources (e.g., General Motors
providing vans to support car seat safety inspections).

Building Reputation with Respected Organizations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 13 million Ameri-
can children are fighting hunger each year, and America's Second Har-
vest estimates that one of four people standing in line at a soup kitchen
is a child. 6 A partnership between ConAgra Foods, Inc., one of North
America's largest packaged-food companies, and America's Second Har-
vest, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, seems like
a natural to address this national challenge. 7 Although the philan-
thropic nature of this initiative is featured in this example, activities
also include various cause promotion efforts and community volun-
teerism among employees.

Example: ConAgra Foods and Feeding Hungry Children

ConAgra Foods' "Feeding Children Better" initiative launched in
1999, represents a multiyear, multimillion-dollar commitment
and is reported to be the nation's largest corporate initiative ded-
icated solely to fighting child hunger in the United States (see
Figure 6.1). 8 Efforts are directed in three areas: funding for Kids
Cafes, a national program of America's Second Harvest; improv-
ing technological and transportation efficiencies of the food
bank distribution systems; and raising public awareness of this
country's child hunger problem. 9

Potential Benefits

151

Kid Cafes are partnerships with after-school and summer feeding
programs that provide children with nutritious meals. ConAgra
Foods partners with America's Second Harvest and its national
network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organiza-
tions to help fund Kids Cafes and is the program's national spon-
sor. Cafes are located in facilities such as YMCAs and Boys &
Girls Clubs and in other family resource centers. In October
2003, for example, a news release announced the grand opening
of a Kids Cafe at the Lincoln Early Intervention Center in
Pocatello, Idaho, that will provide an evening meal once a week
for 160 school-age kids.

As a part of this initiative, ConAgra Food also funds Rapid Food
Distribution System, a computerized nationwide inventory and
trucking system that enables food banks to get food to destina-
tions faster and cheaper. The program is reported to have the po-
tential to reclaim up to 200 million pounds of food available for
donation, which might otherwise be discarded. 10

By the end of 2003, ConAgra Foods had provided funding for
more than 160 Kids Cafes, donated 122 trucks for food banks, as-
sisted food banks around the nation with logistics assistance and
inventory control system upgrades, and sponsored a national
public service advertising campaign to raise awareness of child
hunger in the United States. 11

BECAUSE NO CHILL) SHOULD (,K0W HUNGRY

Figure 6. 1 Program logo for ConAgra's initiative to help feed
hungry children. (Reprinted courtesy of ConAgra Foods.)

152

Corporate Philanthropy

Creating Community Qoodwill and National Attention

A GE Consumer Products manager explains that they look for philan-
thropic projects that are a natural fit for their products and their busi-
ness, ones where they can lend expertise to the cause and at the same
time support overall corporate citizenship goals. As with most compa-
nies, they enjoy projects that will also glean national attention and build
goodwill for the brand, as evidenced in the following initiative.

Example: GE Helps Stars Shine
More Brightly Over Old Faithful

Over the years, GE has been a leader in support of great national
landmarks, including the Washington Monument and the
Statue of Liberty. As national interest in dark skies and concern
with light pollution has continued to grow, GE turned its atten-
tion to another national icon, Yellowstone Park, and the historic
Old Faithful geyser area.

In May 2002, the GE Foundation, the philanthropic organiza-
tion of the General Electric Company, announced a new pro-
gram in cooperation with the National Park Service and the
Yellowstone Park Foundation to restore the night sky (dark sky)
over Yellowstone in Bozeman, Montana. The program was
timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Old Faithful
Inn and targets the "sky glow" in the Old Faithful village, as
well as other major visitor areas in Yellowstone National Park
(see Figure 6.2).

Based on an audit conducted by the National Parks Service, GE
Lighting, and GE Lighting Systems, GE agreed to donate 50
antiglare fixtures and the foundation made a 2002 grant of
nearly $100,000 to support the overall effort to return the dark
skies over Yellowstone. Over a three-to-five-year period, support
will amount to $200,000 including GE Foundation grants and
product-in-kind donations.

Yellowstone Foundation announced the partnership and the ini-
tial grant on their press letterhead. According to a GE
spokesperson, "the media and headline writers liked the irony
that a light bulb manufacturer would take the initiative to lower

Potential Benefits

153

light levels." GE also publicized the announcement at a lighting
industry trade show press conference.

For GE, this philanthropic initiative provided numerous bene-
fits. A GE manager commented that "being associated with a
treasured national park that can use our products to achieve a
more aesthetic, environmentally sensitive lighting scheme
brings tremendous pride to our employees and gleaned positive
press coverage and national attention, promoting goodwill for
the brand. Since the press coverage of the program, groups lead-
ing similar efforts, such as the International Dark Sky Associa-
tion, have also contacted us to become even more involved in
this cause. And, importantly, this project has proved to be an ex-
cellent learning experience for us to develop superior lighting
products for diverse lighting applications such as this." 12

154

Corporate Philanthropy

Strengthening the Corporation's Industry

Some philanthropic efforts are directed to longer-term benefits, ones
that help ensure a stronger future for the company. This may include
supporting efforts that train a future workforce, ones that cultivate rela-
tionships with high-quality suppliers, and others that build goodwill with
the general public, regulatory agencies and policy makers. In the follow-
ing example, a strong philanthropic effort supports the future of The New
York Times, as well as that of journalism.

Example: The New York Times
Supporting Journalism and Journalists

The New York Times Company Foundation supports a variety of
philanthropic activities, including providing grants to domestic
organizations in five fields: journalism, education, culture, envi-
ronment, and service; matching gifts of employees, directors,
and retirees; providing college scholarships; raising funds for the
Neediest Cases during the holiday season; and supporting an ele-
mentary school in Manhattan named for the publisher who
founded the modern New York Times in 1896.

In the foundation's 2002 Annual Report, activities reflecting
its special emphasis on supporting journalists and the field of
journalism were highlighted (see Figure 6.3). In 2000, an ini-
tiative was launched to offer week-long courses designed to in-
spire and educate journalists on emerging new subjects.
Participants were supported through web sites that provided a
forum for information exchange, which included offering
"journalists everywhere access to information about the sub-
ject." 13 In 2002, the program continued its expansion, offering
five Institutes for journalists: Homeland Security, Theater
Criticism, Foreign Language Press, the Age Boom Academy,
and Frontiers of Brain Research. In 2002, these Institutes pro-
vided specialized training to over 60 writers and producers.
Foundation grants also continued to support high school jour-
nalism, and the foundation continued to provide a service
called Campus Weblines, designed to assist students in creat-
ing online school newspapers.

Potential Benefits

Figure 6.3 The New York Times Company Foundation places a
special emphasis on supporting journalism and journalists.
(Photo: James Estrin for The New York Times.)

156

Corporate Philanthropy

Additional philanthropic efforts to support journalism in the past
included a contribution in 1997 for $50,000, the first of two in-
stallments, to the School of Journalism and Mass Communica-
tion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The
grant was given for purchasing equipment, books, and periodi-
cals. In recognition, the university named a seminar room the
New York Times Company Foundation Seminar Room in 1998. 14

In 2003 the Times Company was ranked number one in the pub-
lishing industry in Fortune's list of "America's Most Admired
Companies," for the third consecutive year. The Times Com-
pany was also named in Business Ethics magazine's 2003 list of
the "100 Best Corporate Citizens."

Building and Securing a Strong Brand Position

The following example, albeit a small company relative to many featured
in this book, illustrates the potential for integration of a company's core
values with philanthropic choices and desired brand positioning. Per-
haps, as some think, this strategy represents a new type of philanthropy,
one that is as much a part of the brand as the product itself.

Example: Kenneth Cole and Social Change

The American Foundation for AIDS Research is quoted as stat-
ing that "Kenneth Cole has made one of the single most remark-
able philanthropic commitments in contemporary America, a
commitment that breaks down the barriers between the public
interest and corporate sectors and between deeply held personal
values of equality and justice and day-to-day business concerns.
In doing so, he proves that a social conscience and business acu-
men are not mutually exclusive and provides a role model for a
new kind of corporate philanthropy." 15

Major causes and organizations that Kenneth Cole Productions,
Inc., supports are ones labeled on the company's web site as "Just
Causes" and include nonprofit organizations with missions re-
lated to AIDS, the homeless, and mentoring for children in do-
mestic violence shelters; the Sundance Institute, which supports

Potential Benefits

157

screenwriters, directors, and documentary films; handgun con-
trol and safety; voting; protecting rivers and watersheds in New
York; and providing funds and services to families in the
footwear industry.

Historically, the company's advertising campaigns have reflected
the founder's social consciousness and have been considered con-
troversial by some, funny by others, and inspiring to many. As a
noteworthy potential strategy for others engaged in corporate so-
cial initiatives, Cole's philanthropic activities are often inte-
grated in the company's advertisements and, according to a 2003
article in the Washington Post, are known for their "snappy one-
liners to promote a social agenda, burnish his corporate image,
and sell his shoes." 16 Several examples of these one-liners were
cited in this article and featured as follows, demonstrating the
strategic use of philanthropy to claim and own a brand position:

• "Our shoes aren't the only thing we encourage you to wear"
was a tagline that appeared in Cole advertisements in the
late 1980s, accompanied by a graphic of a condom.

• "Have a heart, give a sole" was used with a visual where ads
showed "tattered work boots of the homeless in lieu of a
shiny pair of loafers." (See Figure 6.4.) The ads then
promised a discount on a pair of new shoes if a customer
donated a pair of their old ones to the homeless.

• "Buy a pair of Kenneth Cole Shoes and you might be re-
sponsible for bringing one homeless person in from the
cold" read another billboard ad, which, as noted in the
Washington Post article, was in sharp contrast with others in
the industry. "Gucci advertising promises its customers a
night of sweaty sex. Hermes ads suggest that a shopper has
finally earned the keys to a private club."

• "Red, white and blue. It's the new black" was a line that ap-
peared in January 2002, ringing in the New Year with a lit-
tle humor, patriotism, and branding combined. 17

• Footnotes: What You Stand For Is More Important Than What
You Stand In is the title of a new book authored by Cole
and published in the fall of 2003, telling the story of his
company.

158

Corporate Philanthropy

Figure 6.4 Cole's philanthropic efforts are often integrated
in advertising. (Reprinted courtesy of Kenneth Cole Productions.)

Having an Impact on Societal Issues in Local Communities

Bill Shore asserts in his book The Cathedral Within that "the one thing
more tragic than an incurable disease is knowing effective treatment and
withholding it or failing to ensure widespread use. . . . Medical science
does not waste resources by continuing to research a polio vaccine when
we've long had a very good one. The challenge is to take what works and
ensure its wider availability." 18 In the following example, a corporation's
nationwide philanthropic effort seeks to tackle a major societal problem
(youth nutrition and fitness) at local community levels. As described,
the goal of the initiative is to grant funding that will either provide in-
creased access to existing successful programs or will encourage the de-

Potential Benefits 159

CommunityAction

GENERAL MILLS

Figure 6.5 Grants for youth nutrition and fitness are a major initiative
of the General Mills' community involvement program. (Reprinted
courtesy of General Mills.)

velopment of promising programs that might then be replicated in other
communities across the country.

Example: General Mills and
Youth Nutrition and Fitness Grants

In 2002, the General Mills Foundation launched an initiative
with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and others
to encourage communities in the United States to improve the
eating and physical activity patterns of young people, ages 2 to
20 (see Figure 6.5). Of real interest was assuring that programs

160

Corporate Philanthropy

that had been proven through research to be successful were ac-
cessible and implemented at local levels. The joint initiative,
called General Mills Champions, provides grants for up to
$10,000 to 50 community-based groups to help youth maintain a
balanced diet and physically active lifestyle. Additional compo-
nents of the initiative include sponsorship of the Presidential
Active Lifestyle Awards (for up to 50,000 youth each year), de-
veloping nutrition and fitness mentoring models, and sharing
best practices. Annual funding is provided by the General Mills
Foundation and ranges from $750,000 to $1 million. In the first
year that grants were offered, over 650 applications for the 50-
plus grants were received.

Grants are provided to diverse groups and projects. One in
Wyoming, for example, targets at-risk girls ages 12 to 19 residing
in a state correctional facility. Another in Oklahoma will use
Native American cultural activities such as Native dancing as a
way to incorporate more physical activity in the classroom. In
Missouri, a new "A Healthier You" Girl Scout badge will be in-
troduced. A project in South Carolina will focus on a commu-
nity garden for underserved youth ages 5 to 14, and in
Massachusetts efforts will include audio announcements with
nutrition and physical activities messages that will be broadcast
over 10 elementary schools' public address systems.

The President of the General Mills Foundation recommends to
others considering and developing philanthropic initiatives to
"select a focus area that management believes in; make sure it is
one you can make a long-term commitment to with a high-in-
tegrity nonprofit organization; ensure it is a cause important to
your consumers; and find ways for employees to participate." 19

Providing Opportunities for Noncash/In-Kind Contributions

Corporate philanthropy offers opportunities for corporations to support
causes through in-kind donations as well as cash and grant contributions.
These may take the form of donations of services or products, or the use
of a corporation's existing distribution and communication channels. For
some corporations, this provides a more strategic way to contribute to

Potential Benefits

161

SAFE KIDS
BUCKLE UP

Proud Program Partners

Figure 6.6 General Motors is a major supporter of the National SAFE
KIDS Campaign. (Reprinted courtesy of General Motors.)

causes, as it often provides opportunities to connect the company's prod-
ucts with the cause. In the following example, in-kind contributions, as
well as financial support, are closely aligned with the company's core
business, products, and consumer markets.

Example: General Motors and Safe Driving

As outlined in their Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
Report for 2001-2002, General Motors supports several social
initiatives and programs to encourage safe driving, including
ones focusing on child restraint and safety belt use, drunk dri-
ving prevention, occupant compartment and trunk anti-entrap-
ment, young drivers, and distracted driving. Some issues are
supported with cause promotion initiatives (e.g., support for a
campaign to educate the public on the facts associated with re-
straint); several with corporate social marketing initiatives (e.g.,
a brochure addressing child safety called "Never Leave Your
Child Alone," with millions of copies distributed through deal-
erships and public health offices); some with socially responsible
business practices (e.g., research and development related to
technology and standards to minimize driving distractions); and
several featuring employee volunteerism (e.g., dealerships partic-
ipating in car seat safety checks). 20

In terms of philanthropic activities, the focus of this chapter,
several of their major initiatives related to safe driving include
partnerships with well-known national organizations and pro-
grams, including the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (see Fig-
ure 6.6) and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), United

162

Corporate Philanthropy

Auto Workers, and the NAACP. 21 Philanthropic activities to
support causes have included financial support as well as those
with a core connection to GM products and distribution chan-
nels: supporting child safety seat inspection stations; educating
dealers on child safety; donating child safety seats to low-income
families; and providing fully equipped vans in order to hold a
traveling child safety seat check-up event, as well as vans to
transport program materials and presenters for MADD programs.

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

Several challenges and concerns associated with philanthropic efforts
are similar to those experienced when developing and implementing
other social initiatives. Care needs to be given to finding and selecting a
nonprofit charity and partner that has a strong reputation, is easy to
work with, and has an existing infrastructure that will assure the effec-
tive management and utilization of contributions. As with other initia-
tives, managers may need to address shareholder concerns that the
company should not be funding social causes that are or should be within
the auspices of governmental agencies. This may be especially true when
making large cash contributions.

Many issues, however, are more unique to philanthropic activities.
Compared with other initiatives, there is often less visibility for these ac-
tivities. By their nature, cause promotions, cause-related marketing, and
social marketing efforts gain visibility for the company's role through
communications inherent in campaign activities. Community volun-
teerism naturally puts a face on the contributions the company is mak-
ing, often creating strong personal relationships and goodwill. Socially
responsible business practices are often publicized by the corporation, as
they represent opportunities to showcase concrete actions the company
is taking to contribute to communities and the environment, especially
to regulatory and policy making audiences. Some feel strongly that phil-
anthropic activities should not be touted, believing that their actions
will speak louder than words and the public will be even more convinced
the activity is a public relations stunt if resources are used especially for
external communications. Others take note of opinion polls cited in
Chapter 1 that indicate the public expects and watches for the com-

Keys to Success

163

pany's philanthropic activities and often makes purchase decisions based
on awareness and knowledge of a company's giving.

An additional challenge for managers of philanthropic initiatives is to
track activities and measure outcomes. Again, communication-related ac-
tivities in cause promotions can be measured in terms of reach, frequency,
and consumer impressions. Cause-related marketing and social marketing
campaigns can even take this a step further, with actions and behaviors
typically tracked and reported. Employee volunteer hours can be calcu-
lated and their impact often weighed (e.g., numbers of pounds of litter col-
lected from a community park). By contrast, philanthropic activities often
depend on feedback on outcomes and impact from the nonprofit charity,
which may be lacking such measurement systems. Additionally, assigning
values to in-kind contributions can be difficult and time consuming, espe-
cially for a national or global corporation. Finally, managers in companies
without a set of guidelines and targets for giving will struggle for direction
and consensus on levels and types of giving.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Several keys to success for this initiative are similar to those for other ini-
tiatives. Choose a cause for contributions that has a connection to your
business, your employees, and your overall corporate citizenship focus.
Make certain leaders in the company are involved from the beginning, es-
pecially in major philanthropic efforts. Select the best grantees, find a way
to make a concrete and positive difference, and consider multiyear part-
nerships with the charity as well as with for-profit corporations that can
leverage contributions. Explore opportunities for donations of in-kind ser-
vices, especially those connected to core products. Finally, don't be shy,
but do be appropriate about talking about results and celebrating success.

Executives from Microsoft, Costco Wholesale, and Recreational
Equipment Inc. (REI) share their applications of these principles and
elaborate on their guidelines for developing and implementing their
philanthropic programs in the following three cases.

Microsoft

Of special interest in this next case is the clear integration and coordina-
tion of a philanthropic initiative with the corporation's mission and

164

Corporate Philanthropy

Microsoft

Unlimited l
Potential '

A community learning program

Figure 6.7 Microsoft's Unlimited Potential initiative is a natural
evolution of the company's mission. (Reprinted courtesy of Microsoft.)

branding efforts. Microsoft's Managing Director of Global Corporate Af-
fairs describes a strategic philanthropic initiative and shares what the
company did to integrate the effort with the company's mission and
brand positioning.

Confirming our belief that amazing things happen when people have
the resources they need, Microsoft has seen remarkable results from
our community investment efforts.

In today's knowledge-based economy, computer literacy has be-
come a vital workplace skill — a skill that millions of people world-
wide still lack. To help narrow this skills gap and aid global
workforce development, in September 2003 Microsoft Corporation
launched Unlimited Potential (UP), a global initiative focused on
providing technology skills for disadvantaged individuals through
community-based technology and learning centers (CTLCs) (see
Figure 6.7). The program focuses on community technology centers
because they exist in nearly every country in the world as a location
for people to access information. In the first year since the inception
of Unlimited Potential, Microsoft awarded a total of $50 million in
cash, software, and technical assistance to more than 150 nonprofit
organizations in 45 countries.

Narrowing the "digital divide" requires going beyond providing
people with access to technology. The real difference is made when
people are equipped with the knowledge and skills to put that tech-
nology to use. Computers are amazing tools that can transform lives,
businesses, and even entire economies — but only if people know

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165

how to use them. Our goal is to make computer literacy a reality for
underserved communities worldwide.

UP will provide funding to help CTLCs hire and train technol-
ogy instructors, and will also make basic computing curriculum
available to these centers. In later phases of the initiative, Microsoft
will partner with others to establish a global support network deliv-
ering technology curriculum, research, tools, and services to CTLCs
worldwide. The company will also sponsor a global and regional
awards program, to recognize effective and scalable information
technology solutions that deliver social benefits. The awards are de-
signed to encourage innovation and provide the funding necessary to
help the best information technology solutions scale for broader use.

UP grants are made through Microsoft's U.S. and international
subsidiaries, working closely with local organizations to identify
community-based centers where technology skills training is a pri-
mary focus. Grant recipients span regions around the world, includ-
ing Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Latin
America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Mexico, and the
United States. 22

The connection of this community investment initiative to mis-
sion is more than coincidental. It is intentional. Microsoft's mission
is "To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize
their full potential." The Unlimited Potential initiative is in com-
plete alignment with this corporate purpose and provides a mecha-
nism for us to deliver on it.

Our current corporate advertising campaign reflects Microsoft's
desires to "unleash the potential in every person, family, and busi-
ness. We want to help you do the things you do every day — express
your ideas, manage your finances, build your business — faster, easier,
and better. At Microsoft, we see the world not as it is, but as it might
someday become." The campaign slogan is "Your Potential. Our Pas-
sion." This consistency is possible because we have made a corpo-
rate-wide decision to align the work of our product teams; our
communication and outreach efforts; and our community invest-
ments around our company's mission.

To support this integrated approach, several efforts were key:

• Referencing the corporation's mission statement at the onset: The
Unlimited Potential initiative is a natural evolution of our

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Corporate Philanthropy

company's mission, and of its 20-year history of community
outreach. As we developed Unlimited Potential, we made sure
that the program continued to align with our efforts to help
people and communities realize their full potential.

• Working with the marketing department and the advertising and
communication agencies responsible for external corporate com-
munications: Microsoft's brand group provided significant
counsel as we developed the Unlimited Potential name and
visual identity, thus ensuring consistency with the corpo-
rate brand.

• Highlighting UP stories in external communications vehicles:
We've seen incredible things happen as a result of our philan-
thropic outreach. When technology and technology skills are
made available to individuals and communities who previously
lacked digital access, it transforms lives and creates amazing
opportunities. Sharing these stories is a great way to demon-
strate what our company is all about and the impact we hope
to have through the power of technology. UP projects have
been integrated into executive speeches, business presenta-
tions, the corporate advertising campaign, our annual report,
our external web site, and other communications vehicles.

• Focusing on internal communications as well as external commu-
nications: A company's brand isn't just communicated
through advertising and public relations. Brand is also trans-
mitted — perhaps most powerfully — through our people. We
work hard to ensure our employees not only understand our
community investment efforts but also have a chance to get
involved. When they share their experiences and their own
personal transformations, it's one of the most effective brand
tools we have.

Costco Wholesale

Opened in 1976, Costco Wholesale is the world's first warehouse mem-
bership club, and in early 2000 had more than 32 million members, 335
warehouses, and nearly 80,000 employees worldwide. 23 Costco's strong
corporate culture includes a belief in the importance of giving back to
those who have contributed to its success and an interest in creating pos-
itive social change. The following example of a philanthropic effort is

Keys to Success

167

shared by a Costco executive who offers recommendations to others en-
gaged in similar community philanthropic efforts.

Costco's community support concentrates on children and educa-
tion. We believe education is a great equalizer and have worked over
the years to improve the educational opportunities for children,
ranging from elementary school age children through our Back to
School Backpack program, to college age students through our
scholarship program for underrepresented minority students. Re-
cently, we expanded our efforts to include the education of children
from birth to age five.

We learned from recent brain research that education of chil-
dren begins at birth and that the critical years in a child's develop-
ment (zero to five) are the same years during which over 70 percent
of children are placed in some type of child care away from home.
Many child care centers and family child care providers are not able
to fully promote the healthy development of children during these
crucial years, and these years become, at times, years of missed op-
portunities to educate our children when they need it most. In addi-
tion, there is a severe lack of affordable quality child care.

We also believe that the lack of quality and affordable child care
needs to be addressed and corrected by the entire community, and
we determined that a collaborative approach was needed among
business, government, parents, teachers, academic institutions, and
the community. No one group can do it alone. We also realized that
this collaborative effort would be important in order to reduce costs,
make child care more affordable, and increase quality.

Costco partnered with Bellevue Community College (BCC)
over four years to develop this collaborative effort, and together they
built the Early Learning Family and Childcare Center on BCC's
campus (see Figure 6.8). This effort included the design, develop-
ment, and construction of the facility, fundraising through grants
and donations from the private and public sectors, and the imple-
mentation of a high-quality program for children ages three months
to six years.

Costco contributed $1.5 million to the project. We also con-
tributed in-kind services and coordinated additional in-kind services
from our general contractor, architect, legal counsel, and vendors.
BCC provided funding and coordinated the fundraising campaign

168

Corporate Philanthropy

through its 501(c)(3) foundation, grant writing, and other means.
As a result of our participation, Costco employees have access to 50
percent of the available child care slots, at the same tuition rates.

However, our primary reasons for participating in this project are
to provide a model of affordable quality child care that hopefully will
be replicated, to increase awareness of the importance of early learn-
ing within the business community, and to increase parental in-
volvement in early learning.

Many communities across Washington state and the nation
have inquired about the project. We've given tours and have spoken
with various communities to share what we have learned. This pro-
ject has been featured in various articles, and Costco's CEO and oth-
ers have spoken to business groups around Washington, promoting
the importance of early learning and the collaborative model.
Costco has received recognition from the Bellevue Chamber of

Keys to Success

169

Commerce as a recipient of the 2002 Eastside Business Award for
Corporate Citizenship and the Leadership Award from the Founda-
tion for Early Learning. Finally, BCC has spoken about the project
around the country and both the architect and general contractor
have received recognition for their involvement in this community
service endeavor. While we appreciate the recognition we have re-
ceived, what matters most to us is that we hope this will inspire
other businesses to champion early learning in their communities.

When choosing among causes to support, focuses for efforts, and
decisions regarding partnerships, we strongly recommend the follow-
ing principles:

• Don't try to be all things to all causes. Focus on one or two areas.

• Find a way to make a concrete difference. We believe that cam-
paigns that do the most good for the community in which the
company does business will eventually do the most good for
the company.

• Collaboration is key. As a result of collaboration, the actual
cost of the building was below market value and the construc-
tion cost was fully funded, leaving the building debt-free. This
substantially reduced operating expenses, allowing more af-
fordable tuition levels and higher wages for caregivers.

• Recognize that collaboration takes patience, perseverance, and ex-
ecutive support from the collaborators. Costco and BCC com-
mitted senior level people to work on the project, and all
collaborating partners did the same. These people had the au-
thority to make decisions on the spot, and the expertise to
solve problems creatively and react immediately.

REI

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) is a renowned supplier of specialty
outdoor gear, currently operating more than 70 stores in 24 states. Retail
stores include a variety of facilities for testing equipment, including bike
test trails, climbing pinnacles, and camp stove demonstration tables. REI
stores also provide opportunities to learn about the outdoors and mus-
cled-powered sports through frequent in-store clinics and REI-sponsored
events, and through association with local outdoor organizations. For
seven consecutive years, REI has been recognized by Fortune magazine's

170

Corporate Philanthropy

"Best Companies Special Report" as one of the "100 Best Companies to
Work for in America." The following summary of REI's Grants Program,
provided by REI's corporate giving manager, reflects their cultural focus
on the great outdoors as well as on their employees, who are recognized
throughout the outdoor industry for their product knowledge and exper-
tise. (See Figure 6.9.)

REI's Grants Program is unique as it calls on our employees to nomi-
nate potential grant recipients. Although a budget and plan has final
approval by the board of directors and REI's leadership team, em-
ployees are solicited to nominate nonprofit organizations with which
they volunteer who share our values and funding priorities. Organi-
zations that have been nominated by an employee are sent grant ap-
plications and, when funding decisions are made, retail employees
actually award the grants to the organization they nominated.

Grants are funded by our public affairs department at about $1.8
million per year and focus in two areas. Conservation projects are in-
tended to protect lands and waterways, make these resources accessi-
ble to more people who enjoy the outdoors, and better utilize and
preserve our natural resources for recreation (e.g., a grant to promote
dialogue between user groups and policy makers). Outdoor recre-
ational project grants support increased access to outdoor activities

Figure 6.9 REI's giving program reflects its focus on the outdoors and
relies on employee nominations for grant recipients. (Reprinted
courtesy of REI.)

Keys to Success

171

(e.g., one that provides sleeping bags and tents for students while at-
tending an outdoor adventure education program), encourage in-
volvement in muscle-powered recreation, and promote safe
participation in outdoor muscle-powered recreation and proper care
for outdoor resources.

Program success is evaluated on a variety of metrics, including
measuring the number of hours of volunteer service, number of miles
of trail work completed, number of children participating in an out-
door program, number of people benefiting from donated gear, or
number of participants in a program. We believe successful projects
then support our own long-term business goals by preparing our fu-
ture's environmental stewards, promoting outdoor activities, and
preserving places for recreation.

Surveys have indicated that our grants program has been a
source of pride and loyalty for our employees. We believe it has
strengthened our brand with customers, nurtured an internal culture
of stewardship, and created partnerships with external organizations
that have added value to the campaigns.

We believe in these keys to a successful philanthropic program:

• Actively engage employees at all levels of the company, particularly
those at retail stores. By directing our corporate dollars to pro-
jects in which our employees are personally involved, we rein-
force our commitment to stewardship and volunteerism as
well as support meaningful projects at the grassroots level that
are relevant, strategic, and unique. Although other models for
grant making may be simpler and cleaner, we believe involv-
ing our employees in the program makes it more relevant,
strong, and impactful.

• Secure the support of leadership. REI has a long history of giving
back to the community and the value held within the com-
pany. Having the support of our senior leadership team and
the board of directors insures that our program and commit-
ment to stewardship remain bold, consistent, and alive.

• Communicate results. We repeatedly communicate the results
of our giving efforts. This is done online, through our em-
ployee newsletter, in our stores, in our annual dividend
packet, in catalogues and mailers, and through speaking en-
gagements of REI leaders.

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Corporate Philanthropy

• Celebrate success. Recognize individuals and employee groups
for their volunteerism. Participate in nonprofit partners'
events and activities supporting environmental stewardship.
Send personalized notes, e-mails, and articles about the differ-
ence we are making in the community through the donation
of time, money, and products.

WHEN TO CONSIDER CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY

In reality, philanthropic activities are the norm for most corporations
and are always a consideration when the corporation has citizenship or
philanthropic goals. They should also be considered when community
organizations and agencies would benefit from excess or idle corporate
resources. Emphasis is placed in this chapter on developing philan-
thropic initiatives that are strategic, having the most impact on the so-
cial cause as well as providing the maximum benefits for the corporation.

DEVELOPING PHILANTHROPIC ENDEAVORS

Major decisions related to philanthropic activities will include selecting
a cause to support, choosing a nonprofit charity or other recipient for
contributions, determining levels and types of contributions, and devel-
oping communication and evaluation plans. Guidelines for each include
the following:

• Selecting a cause to support should ideally begin by referring to
already established philanthropic priorities, ones that have been
chosen by the company as areas of focus based on a variety of fac-
tors including business goals, employee passions, and customer
concerns. This will help ensure management support for the ef-
fort, as well as the possibility that contributions will be con-
nected to causes currently being supported by other types of
social initiatives. The chances for making a real impact in a par-
ticular cause area are then increased. Having these areas of focus
will also help guide managers at remote or local levels, increasing
the likelihood that corporate giving will be integrated through-
out its various markets.

Developing Philanthropic Endeavors

173

When choosing a nonprofit partner, managers might first look at
existing partnerships and build on ones where there is a good
working relationship, a history of good fiscal management, and a
track record of collaboration. Other criteria that might be used to
select a partner include looking for one where there is the possi-
bility of making a meaningful contribution by providing nonmon-
etary resources such as corporate products, use of distribution
channels, and technical expertise.

Determining levels of contributions ideally should also begin with
a reference to established corporate guidelines for giving, ones
that may specify a percentage of pretax profits, a percentage that
varies at different profitability levels, or a fixed dollar amount, or
may even be based on some other index such as the number of
corporate employees.

Developing a communication plan is an often-overlooked step for
philanthropic initiatives. For some it is a deliberate move. Man-
agers are encouraged, however, to develop an internal communi-
cation plan that informs employees regarding giving programs and
levels of contributions. Plans for celebration should also be con-
sidered, especially when concrete results can be reported and
shared. In terms of external communications, most would agree
that at a minimum, giving programs should be described in corpo-
rate reports and on web sites, as many consumers, investors, and
suppliers may in fact be looking for them and be surprised (or con-
cerned) when they are not found.

Though it is often difficult to do so, managers are encouraged to
establish tracking and measurement tools that will account for
total cash contributions, estimate the value of any in-kind ser-
vices, and, ideally, provide information on outcomes and im-
pacts for the social cause. There is some evidence that progress
is being made to support evaluation strategies. For example, in
the Spring 2003 issue of New Century Philanthropy, a publica-
tion of the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy,
Charles Moore, executive director of the committee, said that
initiatives are in the works to establish "industry-led guidelines
to account and report cash and value-in-kind contributions
across the entire corporation, and enable comparable internal
and external benchmarking." 24

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Corporate Philanthropy

SUMMARY

The current range of options for philanthropic giving is broad, breaking
from traditions in the past that focused on cash donations to more cre-
ative giving strategies including donating products and services, provid-
ing technical expertise, and allowing the use of facilities, distribution
channels, and (idle) equipment.

Major strengths for this initiative are building corporate reputation
and goodwill; attracting and retaining a motivated workforce; having an
impact on societal issues, especially in local communities; and leveraging
current corporate social initiatives. Of late, experts are challenging cor-
porations to look also at the potential for philanthropic initiatives that
will actually increase productivity, expand markets, and ensure a strong
future workforce. The greatest concerns expressed by many were the
challenges associated with evaluating and choosing a strong cause part-
ner, dealing with shareholder concerns for issues that have been selected,
achieving (tactful) visibility for the corporation for its efforts, and track-
ing and measuring impact and outcomes, even just determining (quanti-
fying) levels of giving.

Strongest recommendations to address these downsides include
choosing social issues that have a connection to the corporation's mis-
sion, involving other departments in selecting causes and giving levels.
When developing programs, engage employees, secure leadership sup-
port, and develop a communications plan, even if it is just an internally
focused one.

CHAPTER

Community Volunteering:
Employees Donating
Their Time and Talents

At Timberland, we're about more than the rugged boots we've made for
30 years. We believe that companies have the power and the responsibil-
ity to effect positive and lasting change in the world. When you layer in
community organizations and individuals who share this passion, the vi-
sion for what we can achieve together is limitless.'

ommunity volunteering is an initiative in which the corporation

supports and encourages employees, retail partners, and/or fran-

V«_^ chise members to volunteer their time to support local community
organizations and causes. Volunteer efforts may include employees vol-
unteering their expertise, talents, ideas, and/or physical labor. Corporate
support may involve providing paid time off from work, matching ser-
vices to help employees find opportunities of interest, recognition for
service, and organizing teams to support specific causes the corporation
has targeted.

Distinguishing community volunteering from other initiatives is not

— Jeffrey Swartz, president and CEO,
The Timberland Company

175

176

Community Volunteering

difficult, as it alone involves employees of a corporation personally volun-
teering at local organizations (e.g., Boys 6k Girls Clubs) and for local
cause efforts (e.g., picking up litter on roadways). Volunteering in the
community is not a new corporate initiative. What is new and notewor-
thy, however, is an apparent increase in the integration of employee vol-
unteer efforts into existing corporate social initiatives and even
connecting the volunteer efforts to business goals. Once more, a strategic
approach appears to be the norm, where employees are often encouraged
to volunteer for causes that are currently supported by other corporate so-
cial initiatives, frequently connected to core business values and goals.
IBM, for example, has had a long-standing commitment to education
through an initiative called "Reinventing Education" and supports em-
ployees in becoming mentors to school youth; and FannieMae employees
are encouraged to support the foundation's "Help the Homeless" program.

Volunteering in the community, and corporate support to do this, is
viewed by many (including executives sharing their stories in this chapter)
as one of the most genuine and satisfying of all forms of corporate social in-
volvement. In his book Revolution of the Heart, Bill Shore shares perspec-
tives and insights that may be contributing to this revival and encourages
corporations, as well as individuals, to "contribute through their unique
skills and creative abilities." He says that by doing this, "they are giving the
one thing that is most genuinely theirs and that no one can take away." 2 It
means "teaching nutrition and food budgeting to young mothers if you're a
chef, tutoring math if you are an accountant, coaching if you are an athlete,
examining children if you are a doctor, building homes if you are a carpen-
ter or a builder." 3 He writes about "the yearning people have to be con-
nected both to something special inside themselves and, at the same time,
to something larger than themselves and their own self-interest." 4

TYPICAL PROGRAMS

Corporate support for employee volunteering ranges from programs that
simply encourage their employees to give back to their communities to
those representing a significant financial investment and display of
recognition and reward. Examples representing types of support include
the following:

• Promoting the ethic through corporate communications that en-
courage employees to volunteer in their community and that may

Typical Programs

111

provide information on resources to access in order to explore vol-
unteer opportunities.

• Suggesting specific causes and charities that the employee might
want to consider and providing detailed information on how to
get involved, often with causes and charities supported by other
current social initiatives.

• Organizing volunteer teams for a specific cause or event, such as a
United Way "Day of Caring" event, where, for example, employ-
ees paint the interior of a child care facility for homeless children.

• Helping employees find opportunities through on-site coordina-
tors, web site listings, or, in come cases, through sophisticated
software programs that match specific employee interests and cri-
teria with current community needs.

• Providing paid time off during the year to do volunteer work,
with typical benefits ranging from offering two to five days of
annual paid leave to do volunteer work on company time, to
more vigorous programs that provide opportunities for an em-
ployee to spend a year on behalf of the company working in a
developing country.

• Awarding cash grants to charities where employees spend time
volunteering; grant amounts are then often based on numbers of
hours reported by employees.

• Recognizing exemplary employee volunteers through gestures
such as mentions in internal newsletters, awards of service pins or
plaques, and special presentations at department or annual com-
pany meetings.

Types of projects that employees volunteer for range from those that
contribute to a local community to ones that improve health and safety
for individuals, to those that protect the environment.

Community projects, perhaps the most common, include efforts such
as building homes, collecting food for food banks, answering phones for
public radio pledge campaigns, organizing teams for walk-a-thons, clean-
ing parks, reading to kids, mentoring youth at risk, volunteering in the
classroom, visiting children in hospitals, spending time with seniors in
nursing homes, teaching computer skills, befriending people in a home-
less shelter, handing out meals at a soup kitchen, building playhouses for
orphans, and staffing an adopt-a-pet booth.

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Community Volunteering

Health and safety -related projects where employees volunteer their
time include such activities as screening kids for dental problems,
leading youth physical activity programs, conducting a car seat safety
check, handing out educational brochures on HIV/AIDS, driving se-
niors to get an annual flu shot, and training children on how to use
crosswalks.

Environmental volunteering might involve litter pickup, tree planting
in areas destroyed by fires, seed propagation for highway beautification,
salmon habitat protection, plant identification, weed control, removing
alien plants, wetland rehabilitation, cleaning polluted waterways, and
clearing storm drains of debris.

Table 7.1 highlights examples of programs for companies featured in
this chapter.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS

According to executives contributing to cases and examples in this
book, many of the benefits for this initiative reflect its unique capacity
to build strong and genuine relationships with local communities and
to attract and maintain satisfied and motivated employees. This may
also be one of the best initiatives for augmenting and leveraging cur-
rent involvement and investments in social initiatives. As with sev-
eral of the other initiatives, additional potential benefits have been
experienced as well, including contributions to business goals, en-
hancing corporate image, and providing opportunities to showcase
products and services.

Building Qenuine Relationships in the Community

Recipients of volunteer efforts recognize the spirit of commitment that a
company has when volunteers show up personally to help their organiza-
tion's cause. The relationship and community building opportunities for
these sincere contributions are perhaps strongest for this corporate social
initiative. It seems that anyone can write out a check or provide space
for cause promotional materials in retail stores. But it takes real commit-
ment and caring to give your employees time away from the production
lines or for people who have a full-time job to give some of their free
time to support a cause.

Table 7.1 Examples of Corporate Community Volunteer Activities

Corporation

Example of a Cause Supported

Examples of Activities

Examples of Support

Ford Motor Company

Affordable housing

Participating in building homes for
Habitat for Humanity Detroit

Organizing efforts and
employee recognition

Hewlett-Packard

Global access to technology

Working in underserved

communities including rural India

Placing employees in these
locations for a period of time

FedEx

United Way, National Safe Kids
Campaign, and American
Red Cross

Participating in United Way
"Day of Caring"

Time off from work to
participate in "Day of
Caring"

Fannie Mae

Making home ownership more
possible

Participating in the foundation's
"Help the Homeless" program

One-on-one match program
Paid leave

Shell

Environmental protection

Weed and litter removal in coastal
regions; studying waterbirds

Organizing activities and
funding employees to
participate in specific
programs

AT&T Wireless

Red Cross and other charities
selected by employees

Teams volunteer for a specific
community group

Awarding grants to charities
where employees volunteer

Timberland

Local community
organizations

Participation in high impact
community service events

Up to 40 hours of paid

community service time per
calendar year

IBM

Mentoring school- age youth

One -on-one mentoring of students
by IBM volunteer employees

Providing software that
supports secure online
mentoring

Levi Strauss & Co.

HIV/AIDS

Volunteering in food delivery

programs, outreach, and education

Engaging employees

throughout the company

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Community Volunteering

Example: Ford Motor Company

Henry Ford was said to have had a strong sense of community
and demonstrated this commitment early on through such ef-
forts as helping to build subdivisions in Detroit to provide afford-
able housing for thousands of workers, and establishing Detroit's
first large general hospital. Today there are thriving examples
that this culture for community goodwill is still alive, offering
salaried employees 16 hours of paid community service a year. 5

Ford Motor Company has been a partner and supporter for Habi-
tat for Humanity, especially in Detroit, for many years. Over 1,000
Ford employees, for example, volunteered their time between the
year 2000 and 2002 to help build Habitat homes in Detroit, pro-
viding families in need with a safe, affordable place to live. Appre-
ciation for Ford's volunteer efforts was clear in a statement from
the executive director for Habitat for Humanity Detroit: "Ford has
been one of the reasons that Habitat for Humanity Detroit has
been successful in building homes and revitalizing neighborhoods.
It's a great opportunity for Ford employees to spend time with
each other outside of work while working for a good cause and giv-
ing back to the Detroit community." 6 The company also has a
philanthropic initiative with Habitat for Humanity Detroit, with
a commitment of $125,000 for the organization made in 2000. 7

And for the 10th consecutive year, Ford participated in an ini-
tiative that uses greeting cards to support abandoned and ne-
glected children (see Figure 7.1). This unique program involved
company employees collecting old and used greeting cards that
are then sent to children at St. Judes Ranch for Children in
Nevada, who then use them to make new cards that are sold to
support the nonprofit. The children at the ranch earn money as
well for every new card they make. In February 2003, 350,000
cards (two tons) were sent to St. Judes kids. A Ford company ex-
ecutive commended the effort: "Our six dozen Ford Motor Com-
pany volunteers should be proud. This was another successful
year and their effort not only helps Mother Nature with tons of
material diverted from the waste stream but also helps deserving
young people from St. Judes as well." 8

Potential Benefits

181

Figure 7.1 Ford volunteers collected used and old greeting cards for
children at St. Jude's Ranch, who resold them to earn money.
(Reprinted courtesy of Ford and St. Jude's Ranch.)

Contributing to Business Qoals

Many companies like Hewlett-Packard believe corporate social initiatives
can be both a good business investment as well as a social one. They be-
lieve that by assisting communities in realizing the potential that tech-
nology can have on economic development, for example, they can also
build new markets for the company. In the following example, Hewlett-
Packard's chairman and CEO, Carly Fiorina, presents perspectives that

182

Community Volunteering

counter many of those presented in Milton Friedman's seminal work 33
years ago entitled The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Prof-
its. He argued that business leaders had "no responsibilities other than to
maximize profits for the shareholders." To this Ms. Fiorina commented in
a recent keynote address, described in the next example, "The idea that
companies have no responsibility to the communities in which they oper-
ate, that in other words, we operate in a vacuum, or the idea that our ac-
tions have no consequences on the world around us is short-sighted at
best, and it is certainly not sustainable for very long." 9

Example: Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has a vision of a future where everyone in
the world has access to the social, educational, and economic
opportunities offered in this digital age. In 2002 alone, HP in-
vested more than $62 million in resources worldwide to forward
this vision. Part of this investment came in the form of employee
volunteer efforts in underserved communities. 10

Carly Fiorina, chairman and CEO of HP, articulated her views
on corporate responsibility in a keynote address delivered at
the Business for Social Responsibility Annual Conference in
November of 2003. She said that they have found, when they
get involved in communities and "back it with real re-
sources — not just money and time, but more importantly, HP
people and products — we become a catalyst for change be-
cause governments and NGOs and community leaders and
even other companies are then more willing to make a com-
mitment themselves." 11

She cited an inspiring example of where an investment of people
on the ground, working on community development projects, is
also expected to bring benefits to the company. A program
called "i-community" places employees for up to three years to
work side-by-side with citizens in underserved communities,
helping them achieve their goals by contributing management
expertise and training on use of technology (see Figure 7.2). In
one rural, impoverished community in India, when employees
observed that electricity was unreliable (to say the least), a new
product idea was conceived: a solar-powered printer and a solar-

Potential Benefits

183

powered digital camera. The idea then became a business for the
community — a solar-powered digital photography studio. In In-
dia every citizen is required to have a national ID card with their
photograph on it, and people in rural communities needed to
travel into a city to have their photograph taken. The photogra-
phy studio became a new venture for several women entrepre-
neurs who traveled from village to village creating identity cards.
"What happened in that process?" asked Carly. "We've devel-
oped a new product; we've helped create new businesses that are
sustainable; and we've also created partners and customers for
life. Yes, it's a small start, but imagine the potential of something
like digital photography in a market like India." 12

The company's appreciation and recognition for employees
was apparent in one of her final comments. "I guess the last
thing I would say is that the people of HP represent all that is
good and true about this company — including the power of
our aspiration and the power of our contribution. And when

Figure 7.2 HP's model for its "i-community" approach underscores a
belief that business investment in association with employee
volunteerism can lead to a positive social impact through the
development of new technology and creation of new markets.
(Courtesy, Emerging Market Solutions, Hewlett-Packard Development
Company, L.P)

184

Community Volunteering

you have 140,000 employees, they also, by their own personal ex-
ample, can have a big impact, and I know they do." 13

Increasing Employee Satisfaction and Motivation

As research highlighted in Chapter 1 indicated, a company's reputation
for community involvement, including support for employees to volun-
teer for causes, can influence their morale, as well as their choices about
where they work. After 9/11, for example, a Cone/Roper's study indicated
that 76 percent of respondents said a company's commitment to causes
was important when deciding where to work. 14 And in their 2002 Citi-
zenship Study with a national cross section of 1,040 adults, 80 percent of
respondents say they would be likely to refuse to work at a company if
they were to find out about negative corporate citizenship practices. 15

Example: FedEx

Every year, thousands of FedEx employees volunteer their talent,
resources and time (about 200,000 hours' worth) to support
charitable organizations with which FedEx has an established
strategic relationship, including United Way, March of Dimes,
National SAFE KIDS Campaign, and American Red Cross.

Of special interest in this example is the impact that this in-
volvement has on employee volunteers (see Figure 7.3). FedEx
features their inspiring personal stories on their web site, with a
few highlighted below: 16

• A manager in Buffalo was moved to see the difference his
company made on their United Way "Day of Caring" event
in an impoverished community in his area. "When word
got back to officials of the City of Buffalo about FedEx
Trade Networks descending on the area with an army of
volunteers to clean it up, they sent street-cleaning trucks
and a dump truck to help. Generally, the city neglects this
impoverished area; the trucks were there as a result of
FedEx involvement. We truly made a huge impact on that
area of the neighborhood that day. It was great to see."

• A senior service agent for FedEx Express who participated
as a "Loaned Executive" in the United Way campaign is

Potential Benefits

185

passionate about her experience and promotes volun-
teerism to other employees as well. "It's about getting them
in touch with something they didn't know existed. It
changes you, there is no way around that; no way to ever
say I'll walk away being the same person I was walking in
here. There's just not."
• An operations manager in Spokane, Washington, volunteers
to support the local "SAFE KIDS Walk This Way" program.
She has encouraged more than 25 fellow employees to do
the same. "In some small way, if we can help with the traffic
issues it's worth it. If we can save one child, it's worth it."

In recognition of their 2002 campaign, United Way of America
honored FedEx with the Spirit of America Award, its highest
tribute for corporate community involvement, recognizing the
company's corporate giving, in -kind service, and volunteerism. 17

Figure 7.3 FedEx employees support a "SAFE KIDS Walk This Way"
program, an initiative of the National Safe Kids Campaign. (© 1995-2004
FedEx. All Rights Reserved.) (Reprinted courtesy of FedEx.)

186

Community Volunteering

CATCH THE

WAVE 9 !

Figure 7.4 Logo for Fannie Mae Foundation's "We Are Volunteer
Employees" program. (Reprinted by permission of the Fannie
Mae Foundation.)

Supporting Other Corporate Initiatives

Supporting employees to volunteer for causes that are a strategic focus
for the organization can leverage the contributions already being made
through other initiatives such as cause promotions and philanthropy. In
the following example, a corporation has had a long-standing philan-
thropic focus for contributing to affordable housing and home owner-
ship. It makes real the concept and synergy created when yet one more
initiative is integrated into the current strategic mix.

Example: Fannie Mae

In 1990, the Fannie Mae Foundation established a formal pro-
gram to support volunteer efforts of employees of both Fannie
Mae and the Fannie Mae Foundation. The program, called
WAVE (We Are Volunteer Employees), was developed to assist
employees in finding meaningful volunteer opportunities, pro-
vide support for participation in volunteer activities, and recog-
nize employees for their accomplishments (see Figure 7.4). In
2002, more than 1,400 employee volunteers contributed more
than 41,000 hours of service in the communities where they
work and live. 18

Support includes a one-on-one match program that helps em-
ployees find volunteer opportunities in the community that ap-
peal most to them. A paid release time program offers

Potential Benefits

187

employees 10 hours of paid leave per month to participate in
these activities. Teamwork is built through community projects
that involve employees working together, and a formalized
recognition programs thanks employees for their efforts through
gifts and awards. 19

Many volunteer efforts support the foundation's commitment
to improving affordable housing and home ownership opportu-
nities, especially for low-income and minority families. One
program, called "Help the Homeless," started out as a relatively
modest, employee-driven walk in a local park to raise money
for nonprofit organizations working with local homeless citi-
zens. "The year was 1988. Fannie Mae employees, walking to
and from their office in an affluent Washington, D.C., neigh-
borhood, encountered a distressing sight. Increasing numbers
of homeless men and women walked the streets. They asked for
money; they looked for shelter. Often, homeless children
trailed behind a parent. This new reality hit hard — especially
for people who devoted their professional lives to expanding
home ownership. Concern soon became action. With the
blessing of then-Fannie Mae Chairman David O. Maxwell,
Fannie Mae employees organized a charity walk to raise money
for the overwhelmed nonprofit organizations working with lo-
cal homeless citizens." 20

In their first year, walkers raised $90,000 for organizations serv-
ing the homeless. To capitalize on the momentum, Fannie Mae
employees then contacted local businesses to enlist corporate
support for future walks. For 16 consecutive years, the Fannie
Mae Foundation has engaged people in the Washington metro-
politan area in this grassroots initiative. By 2003, the event had
grown to involve more than 100,000 children and adult partici-
pants and generated $6.5 million. The total raised by the Fannie
Mae Foundation's "Help the Homeless" program now stands at
more than $40 million. 21

In 1995, the WAVE program was recognized by the Points of
Light Foundation with an Award for Excellence in Corporate
Community Service. 22

188 Community Volunteering

Figure 7.5 Logo for a joint effort between Conservation Volunteers
Australia and Shell Australia to protect Australia's coastal regions.
(Reprinted courtesy of Shell Coastal Volunteers.)

Enhancing Corporate Image

Many companies are discovering that strong reputations for corporate
social responsibility can be enhanced, even won, through the generous
actions of employees whose volunteer efforts bring them face-to-face
with cause partners, citizens, and neighbors in need. Among all the cor-
porate social initiatives, perhaps this one has the most ability to generate
feelings of goodwill among employees and members of the community at
the same time.

Example: Shell Australia

Perhaps not surprisingly, volunteer projects that contribute to the
environment appear to be increasingly popular for companies hav-
ing a direct impact on the natural environment, ones such as Shell
Australia. Although "Shell Volunteers," a program that began in
Australia in 1990, encourages employees to provide their time, en-
ergy, and skills to areas that interest them most (e.g., taking young
children on outings, planting native trees and grasses, collecting
gifts), a coordinator of the program notes that involvement in en-
vironmental projects has increased. And this focus is good for the
company as well, as she commented: "Shell's involvement in vol-
unteering, while largely generated by the employees, is in line with
the company's commitment to sustainable development." 23

A particular program called "Shell Coastal Volunteers" is a
joint effort between Conservation Volunteers Australia and
Shell Australia to help confront serious threats to Australia's
coastal regions including pollution, marine biodiversity, and
habitat degradation (see Figure 7.5). Volunteers work with
community groups, government agencies, local governments,
and other land managers to provide a range of practical conser-

Potential Benefits

189

vation activities including weed and litter removal. In the past
three years, there were more than 13,000 volunteer days, 80
kilometers of beach cleaned, more than 490,000 square miles of
area revegetated, and 220 kilograms of seed collected. The plan,
as reported in 2003, will include undertaking 100 urban and re-
gional projects per year and contributing more than $2 million
worth of assistance. 24

Shell also has a partnership with Earth watch Australia and funds
a number of its employees to participate in environmental re-
search projects, such as studying waterbirds.

Volunteer efforts provide a powerful visible symbol of commit-
ment, as reflected in a statement that Shell Australia's chairman
and CEO wrote in Business/Higher Education Round Table News
in November 2000: "Nothing is likely to galvanize community
protest and action against a company more than if it appears to
hold 'double-standards.' . . . You cannot say that you take corpo-
rate social responsibility seriously and then not engage effec-
tively with the communities in which you operate." 25

Providing Opportunities to Showcase Products and Services

Philanthropic initiatives that include donations of products and services
can be enhanced through volunteer efforts that provide additional op-
portunities to associate products with corporate community goodwill.
This was noted in the example in Chapter 3 where Lysol volunteers
showed up at Great American Cleanup events with supplies of their
products, increasing in some cases awareness of the range of product in
their lineup. In the following example, we see similar opportunities for
AT&T Wireless through their community volunteer efforts.

Example: AT&T Wireless

No doubt the vision statement for AT&T Wireless has been
guiding their business as well corporate social responsibility ef-
forts: "We envision a world where wireless seamlessly and simply
connects us to the people, information, and things we care about
most, enabling us to be simultaneously connected and free." 26

190

Community Volunteering

In a press release in 2002, the American Red Cross announced
an expanded relationship with AT&T Wireless, a longtime
supporter of the organization's disaster relief efforts. Enhanced
activities included technical assistance, corporate volun-
teerism, and outreach to over 1 ,000 Red Cross chapters around
the nation. Included in this expansion was a donation of
phones to chapters across the country and a commitment of
AT&T Wireless employee volunteer service to local commu-
nity groups, among them the Red Cross. A senior vice presi-
dent for the American Red Cross described the benefit of the
contribution: "The AT&T Wireless relationship enables Red
Cross workers to communicate with each other during times of
disaster, ensuring that families can be reconnected with each
other, for example. We appreciate the services that AT&T
Wireless provides to our communities and we are proud that
they are committed to training their own employees in lifesav-
ing CPR and first aid skills." 27

The company launched a new program, "VolunteerConnec-
tion," in November, 2003, to encourage employee volun-
teerism by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations where
employees invest their volunteer time (see logo in Figure 7.6).
VolunteerConnection operates in conjunction with Volun-
teerMatch, an ongoing program that links employees to non-
profit groups in need of support and tracks employee volunteer
hours. VolunteerMatch maintains a nationwide database that
enables employees to log on to their company's intranet, enter
their zipcode and volunteer interests, and a search produces a
listing of available opportunities in their community. Employ-
ees can then link to the opportunity they are interested in
pursuing.

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

Perhaps unique benefits, as just described, bring unique concerns as well.
Concerns with types and amounts of corporate support for employee vol-

Potential Concerns

191

Figure 7.6 Logo for 2003 AT&T Wireless community
volunteer programs. (Reprinted courtesy of AT&T Wireless.)

unteering are real and expressed frequently with challenges and ques-
tions such as the following:

• This can get expensive. If, for example, a company with 300,000
employees offers 24 hours of paid time off per year for volunteer-
ing, and 50 percent of employees participate, the company is do-
nating 3.6 million hours of potential productivity. It may be a
complex exercise to evaluate this against options for giving grants
and direct cash contributions, and it may look riskier than just en-
couraging volunteer efforts on the employees' own time.

• With so many employees, efforts may get spread over so many issues
that we don't really make a social impact. This may be of special con-
cern, for example, in corporations that encourage employees to
volunteer in the community but do not offer organized programs
or matching services that tend to create more clusters of volun-
teers for specific causes.

• Similarly, when efforts among employees are dispersed throughout the
market, even the globe, how do we realize business benefits for the com'
pany as well 1 . If opportunities for economic as well as social gain
from philanthropic initiatives are real, how do we coordinate
widespread and diverse efforts so that they are visible and con-
nected with the company and our brand?

• Being able to track efforts and outcomes for this initiative can be the
most difficult of all. This, once more, can be especially true for
global companies with volunteers in diverse markets, and espe-
cially a concern when tracking and reporting systems are not cen-
tralized and automated.

192

Community Volunteering

• It is particularly tough with this initiative to find the balance between
publicizing our efforts and flaunting them. Perhaps there is something
unique about the personal nature of volunteer efforts that makes
communications regarding contributions more uncomfortable
than for other kinds of initiatives. This then dampens enthusiasm,
perhaps even investments, when a company wants this effort to
help build the brand or enhance corporate reputation as well.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Themes for keys to successful corporate volunteer initiatives are familiar.
Overall, executives and managers sharing their recommendations tend
to stress developing volunteer programs that match real social, eco-
nomic, and environmental issues with the passion of employees and busi-
ness needs of the company. They highlight advantages of also
connecting volunteer efforts with the company's broader corporate citi-
zenship strategy and to other current corporate social initiatives, such as
cause promotions and philanthropic efforts. They stress the need to get
management support up-front for long-term commitments and to choose
strong community partners. They seem to agree that employees should
be supported and recognized for their efforts and that tracking and quan-
tifying impact is ideal. And they disagree somewhat on if, how, and when
these efforts should be made known and publicized. The common ground
seems to be that the best visibility is when the messengers are recipients
of volunteer efforts sharing the difference that was made, or are the em-
ployees themselves telling personal stories of inspiration and satisfaction
with their experiences.

In the following cases illustrating select application of these themes,
executives from Timberland, IBM, and Levi Strauss & Co. share specific
examples of corporate support for community volunteering and offer
their perspectives on keys to success and principles to guide decision
making.

Timberland

For every year since the list began, Timberland has been named one of
Fortune magazine's "Best Companies to Work For." This award is one of
many the company has received, in part, due to the unique employee

Keys to Success

193

benefits offered through a bold program to support employee and citizen
volunteering. A corporate contributions executive at Timberland shares
the program's background, as well as the company's challenges and rec-
ommended guidelines for developing a winning program.

The "Path of Service™" program began with a simple request in
1989. A small program called City Year needed 50 pairs of boots for
participants in its "urban Peace Corps." Timberland donated the
boots, and a relationship was born. Instead of a thank you note, City
Year gave Timberland a service day for employees to serve alongside
corps members in the community. The day was so meaningful, and
the implications were so clear. We realized a similar experience
could have an enormous effect on all Timberland employees. The
Path of Service employee volunteer program was born, a program
that gives full-time employees 40 hours of paid community service
time per year; part-time employees get 16 hours per year.

Path of Service (POS) is the cornerstone of Timberland's com-
munity investment as our employees have contributed over 200,000
total hours of service around the world. That commitment has
proudly benefited over 200 community organizations in 13 coun-
tries, 26 states, and 73 cities. Departments and cross-functional
teams utilize their service hours to build team and morale, improve
communication skills, and discover unique and hidden assets of col-
leagues. Individuals utilize their hours to develop a skill, find motiva-
tion, and spend valuable time in the community (see Figure 7.7).
Nearly 95 percent of our employees use their POS benefit, and an
overwhelming majority cite it as one of their top two Timberland
benefits.

Most recently, we have launched an initiative called the "Com-
munity Builders Tour," which is a mobile service caravan visiting se-
lect markets. In the pilot phase of this program we are partnering
with select retailers to engage consumers, employees, and civic lead-
ers in high-impact community service events tailored to the host
community's needs. Rather than just telling consumers what we do,
we seek to engage them in our brand experience.

We believe this program is a means to strengthen our relationships
with our shareholders, customers, employees, and communities, and
provides an opportunity for our employees to make their difference in
the communities in which they live and work. In annual surveys, our

194

Community Volunteering

Figure 7.7 Timberland offers full-time employees 40 hours of paid
community service time each year. (Photo courtesy of John
Gillooly/PEI.)

Keys to Success

195

employees rate POS and other community initiatives as key compo-
nents of job satisfaction, and our key retailers are eager to join us on
our expanded Community Builders Tour.

For the most part, Timberland has not chosen to highlight its
community initiatives in the marketplace — both because it seems
self-congratulatory and because we believe consumers become skep-
tical of brands that use their corporate citizenship for market advan-
tage. External communications are limited primarily to editorial
opportunities, our CEO speaking frequently on the topic, and a spe-
cialized web site distinct from our commerce site. Recently in our re-
tail stores we have added Community Kiosks for the posting and
promotion of community service events.

The program, of course, does not go without costs and challenges:

• Path of Service costs the company in terms of lost time on the
job. And to make this even more challenging to evaluate, we
have not been able to truly value this cost as we have lacked a
sophisticated tracking system, but we are currently developing
one. That said, we believe the high correlation to job satisfac-
tion (seen in retention rates and annual survey results) more
than offsets the costs.

• As we are an increasingly global brand, we are challenged to
find the appropriate means for effectively translating the
ethos of service into a myriad of cultures, customs, and social,
and governmental frameworks.

• While other companies have pet causes, we have come to re-
alize that our commitment is to the ethos of service itself.
This means that we support a wide variety of causes in the
name of helping people to discover the joy and power of giv-
ing of themselves through volunteerism. Sometimes this is
messier and harder to communicate and coordinate than a fo-
cused approach.

Several principles guide the management of our programs, and may
be helpful to others as well:

• Choose what feels most authentic to the business or brand.
Anything that is forced or undertaken merely as a marketing
initiative will fail with stakeholders.

196

Community Volunteering

• See corporate citizenship investments as a means of building
equity rather than short-term gain.

• Make corporate citizenship a part of the core business strategy,
and make sure it is widely communicated and adopted.

• Consider the needs and aspirations of all stakeholders.

• Giving money away is regarded less favorably than investing
time. Combining the two strategically has worked best.

• Choose community partners who are willing to work in part-
nership, those that have mutual goals.

• Be cautious about flaunting corporate citizenship in the mar-
ketplace. It can backlash if perceived to be disingenuous.

• Be prepared to stand by these articulated principles during dif-
ficult times. That will be when stakeholders will be measuring
integrity. 28

IBM

In the following case, Stanley S. Litow, vice president for corporate com-
munity relations and president of the IBM International Foundation,
shares the On Demand Community, an innovative employee volunteer
program that IBM believes has effectively leveraged its existing corpo-
rate social initiatives, as well as invigorated its workforce. IBM has de-
veloped a reputation for state-of-the-art community programs that
capitalize on IBM know-how and expertise. Their award-winning pro-
grams feature world-class technology solutions to address social problems
and are characterized by buy-in and support of community leaders; broad
promotion of programs to its employee population; adjustment of tech-
nology solutions as necessary to make them more immediately respon-
sive; linkage of programs to other corporate activities; and monitoring
and evaluation plans that have helped IBM determine program effec-
tiveness and improvements that needed to be made.

IBM's commitment to corporate citizenship extends back to when
Thomas J. Watson Sr. founded the corporation in 1914- His vision
for the corporation explicitly staked IBM's reputation not only on
technical leadership, but on community leadership as well. He knew
that the future of IBM was inextricably linked to the communities in
which it did business. No company could be successful if it was part
of an unsuccessful community.

Keys to Success

197

Just as IBM has led a remarkable technological revolution, we
also have been at the forefront of corporate citizenship. IBM's com-
mitment to social responsibility has stood the test of time; in our
nearly 90 years of operations and community involvement, our work
has changed and evolved with the changing business environment.

Today, IBM is one of the largest corporate contributors of cash,
equipment, and people to nonprofit organizations and educational
institutions across the U.S. and around the world. In more than 160
countries, we help people use information technology to improve
the quality of life for themselves and others.

In November 2003, IBM launched the On Demand Community
(see Figure 7.8). Through this unprecedented program, IBM is con-
tributing technology and expertise to help develop and sustain
strong communities where employees live and work. This is accom-
plished by building on the success of IBM's award-winning commu-
nity relations programs, such as Reinventing Education, KidSmart,
MentorPlace, and TryScience. The new volunteer offerings built
around these programs plus other brand-new solutions are aimed
specifically at meeting the changing needs of communities world-
wide. They provide both IBM technology and talent to schools, not-
for-profit organizations, and economic development groups, focusing
on communities threatened by the "digital divide" — the discrepancy
between those who have the skills and tools to use information tech-
nology and those who don't.

On Demand Community is a coordinated effort allowing IBM
volunteers to provide Web-based solutions and assistance to schools
and service agencies. A vast array of information and resources has
been combined in a way that will help make employees better volun-
teers, able to offer valuable assistance to school and organizations.

For the first time, employees everywhere are able to go online on
the IBM Intranet for the full resources of the company in order to

on demand Ocommunitvi

Figure 7.8 IBM's On Demand Community supports IBM volunteers
to provide Web-based solutions and assistance to schools and
service agencies. (Reprinted courtesy of IBM.)

198

Community Volunteering

serve their communities. This approach to community service plays
to IBM's strengths in innovation, expertise, reliability, and trust.

On Demand Community has expanded to include over 15,000
registered volunteers in 55 countries. The ongoing addition of new
volunteer solutions will expand the ways we can make a difference.

We've learned some important lessons from this initiative. We
learned that the IBM volunteering spirit and support for K-12 runs
very deep and strong. We also found that more IBMers than we an-
ticipated, especially outside the United States, were looking for just
such an initiative. And importantly, we solidified strong views that
have helped establish guidelines for our future efforts. In general
terms, these are:

• Make sure there is a connection between the effort and the core of
the company. In our case we endeavored to connect our em-
ployees to programs they were already broadly aware of, had
significant interest in, and were able to partner with.

• Make sure you don't compromise the content of what you do.
Keep your eye on the most valued customer, which must be
the community in which you are engaged. Provide your em-
ployees with the tools and resources they need to be success-
ful, and be prepared to deliver measurable returns calculated
in a definable impact on education or on society.

• Include promotional strategies. To reach employees and the
community you are serving, you must publicize your programs
both internally and externally and capitalize on efforts to rec-
ognize and share employee contributions and effective prac-
tices whenever possible.

• Develop and implement measurement systems. Independent
process and outcome evaluations must be in place to deter-
mine what is working and what is not, and the type of re-
source investments that will help you to be successful.

• Conduct due diligence, learn from history but always innovate. It
is critical to learn from past efforts by companies and founda-
tions. Use available research literature to help design program
elements. Don't just modify and adapt as you go along, but in
everything you do, think bigger and better. Make sure that
promising ideas are nurtured and foster a culture of innova-
tion so that programs and people reach higher. 29

Keys to Success

199

Levi Strauss & Co.

In the following case, the director of community affairs for Levi Strauss
& Co. describes the rationale behind their company's commitment for
two decades to one of the major social problems of our time. This depth
of experience has built a strong set of principles he shares with others in-
volved in engaging employee volunteer support.

Twenty years ago, a group of Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) employ-
ees sought support to distribute leaflets about a mysterious new dis-
ease that was devastating the gay community in San Francisco. The
employees, however, were not sure if company policy allowed them
to circulate such information and were also concerned that distribut-
ing these leaflets might lead to misperceptions about their own
health. Senior executives of LS&Co. not only endorsed the idea to
distribute materials, but joined staff members and handed them out
in front of the company's headquarters to show their support for this
effort to educate their fellow employees.

Twenty years ago, given the fear and stigma surrounding
HIV/AIDS, supporting prevention efforts was not seen as an op-
portunity to burnish the company's image or as a clever way to in-
crease sales of pants. Even today, questions are routinely asked as to
why LS&Co. is so involved in the issue. Providing resources to
community organizations was initiated in response to the immedi-
ate and growing threat that AIDS posed to the San Francisco com-
munity — including many Levi Strauss & Co. employees who
worked at the company's headquarters. Doing the right thing is a
strong part of the company's 150-year history. Levi Strauss & Co.
did not ignore this crisis.

Several efforts of Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foun-
dation support HIV/AIDS prevention, including the following:

• Providing financial contributions to community-based orga-
nizations in the United States and around the world where
the company has offices and/or production facilities.

• Offering employees release time to volunteer at local
HIV/AIDS service organizations.

• Supporting employee-led Community Involvement Teams,
where employee volunteers direct donations to local AIDS
nonprofit organizations.

200

Community Volunteering

In cash contributions alone, Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi
Strauss Foundation have contributed over $26 million to fight the
spread of HIV/AIDS since the early 1980s. In addition, LS&Co.
employees have given thousands of hours through AIDS Walks,
food delivery programs, and outreach and education projects (see
Figure 7.9). These activities have contributed to a heightened
awareness about the cause of the disease and ways to prevent it,
and the stigma associated with the disease is diminishing, albeit
slowly.

Although LS&Co. has enjoyed a good reputation for its progres-
sive social responsibility practices, selling more clothing is not the
motivation behind working in the community. Corporate social re-
sponsibility is consistent with the company's values, which are em-
pathy, originality, integrity, and courage.

Prospective employees report being drawn to the company, in
part, by its commitment to important social issues, such as
HIV/AIDS. Although the public knows of its efforts through the

Figure 7.9 Levi Strauss & Co. staff members participating in the 2003
San Francisco AIDSWALK. (Reprinted courtesy of Levi Strauss & Co.)

Keys to Success

201

Levi Strauss Foundation's published "Charitable Giving Guide-
lines" and Levi Strauss 6k Co.'s web site, we let organizations
that receive our support speak to the value of the company's
contributions.

We consider several factors important to the selection and im-
plementation of corporate social initiatives, especially when consid-
ering employee participation and volunteer efforts.

When selecting a social issue to support . . .

• Choose issues and organizations that are relevant to the lives
of the company's employees.

• Support causes and projects that improve the social and eco-
nomic environment in the locations where the company has
its physical facilities.

• Don't be afraid to tackle complex social issues that may, at
first, frighten people.

• Ensure that the projects, issues, and organizations supported
reflect the values of the company and have the support of se-
nior leadership involvement, including the CEO and chair-
man of the board.

When developing a program plan . . .

• Engage employees throughout the company in the effort —
employees at the top, middle, and bottom.

• Develop partnership between Community Affairs and brand
managers.

• Collaborate with community organizations that are behind
the most innovative responses to the social issue.

For successful implementation . . .

• Stay committed to the issue for an extended period of time in-
stead of jumping around between different causes. Positive
change takes time, requiring a long-term investment. Be pa-
tient. Many of the benefits of supporting worthy social causes
are not immediately evident.

• Provide flexible support for community partners, letting the
organizations use the money for their most urgent needs.

• Let the organizations receiving support from the company tell
the story of the company's involvement.

202

Community Volunteering

• Use all of the company's resources, including cash contribu-
tions, employee volunteering, and executive service on non-
profit boards, to support a cause or an organization.

• Use the most creative people on your team to develop truly
inspirational campaigns. 30

WHEN TO CONSIDER EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING

The reality is that most large corporations and many smaller ones en-
courage their employees to volunteer in the community. The dilemma
facing most executives centers more around decisions regarding levels
and types of support to provide and whether to promote specific volun-
teer opportunities or to let employees feel free to follow their interests.
Increased and more formalized support for employees and promotion of
focused causes are best considered under the following circumstances:

• When current social initiatives would benefit from a volunteer compo-
nent (e.g., home supply retail store promoting natural gardening
offers employees an opportunity to help build a native plant gar-
den in a local community park).

• When a group of employees express an interest in a specific cause that
has strong connections with business and corporate citizenship
goals (e.g., employees of an outdoor recreational equipment com-
pany want to volunteer to help prevent forest fires by removing
hazardous brush in threatened mountains).

• When a community need emerges, especially an unexpected one
that is a good match for the resources and skills of a workforce
(e.g., the example presented earlier where American Express
helped small businesses in lower Manhattan).

• When technological advances make it easier to match employees to
volunteer opportunities.

• When a strong community organization approaches a business for sup-
port, represents an issue of interest to employees, and has a natural
connection to strategic corporate citizenship and business goals.

• When a volunteer effort might open new markets or provide opportuni-
ties for new product development and research (e.g., as presented
in the example of Hewlett-Packard's involvement in underserved
communities).

Developing Community Volunteering Programs 203

DEVELOPING COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING PROGRAMS

Assuming a company has an interest in developing a formal volunteer
program and has decided to go beyond informal communications that
simply encourage the workforce to be involved in the community, the
following six steps can then be taken.

1 . Develop guidelines for employee involvement.

Decisions will be made regarding whether employees will be
encouraged to volunteer for causes that (only) interest them, or
whether one or more specific charities or cause efforts will be pro-
moted. Most commonly, the decision is to adopt a combination of
these options. If it is determined that specific causes will be promoted,
the selection of causes is best made by referencing the company's mis-
sion statement, overall corporate citizenship focus, current social ini-
tiatives, employee interests, existing community partners, and
pressing needs in the community.

2. Determine types and levels of employee support.

Program options include providing monetary incentives, such as
paid time off and offering cash grants to charities based on the number of
volunteer hours spent by individual employees or teams of employees.
Nonmonetary support may include organizing teams of employees to par-
ticipate in specific events, and offering software programs that match
employee interests with a database of local volunteer opportunities.

3. Develop an internal communications plan.

Spreading the word to employees at all levels and locations can be
critical to fulfillment of a successful companywide volunteer program.
Traditional communication planning elements are appropriate, includ-
ing developing a program name and graphic identity along with key mes-
sages that communicate the company's commitment, the need for
community support, and the desire for employee participation as is evi-
dent in the "VoluntEARS" program at Disney (see Figure 7.10).

4. Develop a recognition plan.

Recognition programs may include components such as mentions
of volunteer efforts in internal employee communications like in-
tranet and newsletters, and recognition at departmental and company
meetings. Some companies also brand this component of the program
(e.g., Fannie Mae Foundation's Catch the WAVE® (We Are Volunteer
Employees)). 31

204 Community Volunteering

Figure 7.10 Disney VoluntEARS created a special "Sports Goofy"
mural for a charity that builds playgrounds for children with
disabilities. (© Disney Enterprises, Inc.) (Reprinted courtesy of
Disney Enterprises, Inc.)

5. Develop an external communications plan.

As a first step, communication objectives should be determined, ad-
dressing the question of what these communications are intended to sup-
port. Is the purpose simply to disclose the corporation's community
involvement, leading to targeted communications in annual reports, for
example? Or are the communications also intended to strengthen a cor-
poration's reputation in the community, which carries implications for
broader media efforts? Perhaps the purpose is to support employee re-
cruitment or to provide an additional venue for employee recognition.
Once these objectives are clear and agreed upon, action plans follow.

6. Develop a plan for tracking and assessment.

Finally, a plan and system for tracking employee hours and recipients
of volunteer efforts must be established. Additionally, measures should
be agreed upon for assessing communication objectives established in
the communications plan.

Summary

205

SUMMARY

Volunteering in the community, and corporate support to do this, is
viewed by many as one of the most genuine and satisfying of all forms
of corporate social involvement. Community volunteering as an initia-
tive is clearly distinct from others, and yet we see trends towards inte-
grating these efforts as an additional component of existing corporate
social initiatives.

Support for volunteering ranges from programs that just encourage
employees to give back to their communities to ones that have formal-
ized written guidelines and make a significant financial investment over
a long period of time.

Volunteer programs are said to have contributed to building strong
and enduring relationships with local communities, attracting and re-
taining satisfied and motivated employees, augmenting and leveraging
current involvement and investments in social initiatives, contributing
to business goals, enhancing corporate image, and providing opportuni-
ties to showcase products and services.

Concerns with developing and managing these programs are real,
including concerns with costs, having a meaningful social impact, re-
alizing business benefits (appropriately), and tracking and measuring
outcomes.

Many keys to success are familiar: Match real social, economic, and
environmental issues with the passion of employees and business needs
of the company; connect volunteer efforts with the company's broader
corporate citizenship strategy and other current corporate social initia-
tives; gain management support up-front for long-term commitments;
choose strong community partners; support and recognize employees for
their efforts; and establish systems for tracking and measurement.
Though there is debate regarding the extent and nature of external com-
munications, it seems that the best visibility is when messengers are ei-
ther the recipients of volunteer efforts or employees sharing personal,
inspirational stories.

Increased efforts for employee volunteer programs should be con-
sidered when current social initiatives would benefit from a volunteer
component; a group of employees express an interest in a specific
cause; a community need emerges; technological advances make it eas-
ier to match employees to volunteer opportunities; a strong community

206

Community Volunteering

organization approaches a business for support; or when a volunteer ef-
fort might open new markets or support new product development. En-
hanced programs will benefit from strategic plans that call for
developing guidelines, determining types and levels of employee sup-
port; and developing plans for internal communications, a recognition
plan, external communications, and tracking and assessment.

CHAPTER

Socially Responsible
Business Practices:
Discretionary Business
Practices and Investments
to Support Causes

Motorola envisions a future in which our factories are accident-free, cre-
ate zero waste, emit only benign emissions, use energy in highly efficient
ways, and use our discarded products as feed for new products. . . . We
are on the threshold of a new era in which all of us — corporations, indi-
viduals, government, and other organizations — conjoin together to coop-
erate on the healing of our earth. We can no longer afford to view
ourselves as separate. We are all interconnected and part of the whole
and what we do matters and affects the whole. When we harm the envi-
ronment, we harm ourselves. Our challenge for the new millennium is to
learn how to live in harmony with our earth.'

— Motorola's Environmental
Vision Statement

207

208 Socially Responsible Business Practices

Socially responsible business practices are where the corporation
adapts and conducts discretionary business practices and invest-
ments that support social causes to improve community well-being
and protect the environment. Key distinctions include a focus on activi-
ties that are discretionary, not those that are mandated by laws or regula-
tory agencies or are simply expected, as with meeting moral or ethical
standards. Community is interpreted broadly to include employees of the
corporation, suppliers, distributors, nonprofit and public sector partners,
as well as members of the general public. And well-being can refer to
health and safety, as well as psychological and emotional needs.

• There is increasing evidence being documented and shared
demonstrating that socially responsible business practices can ac-
tually increase profits (e.g., Chiquita quantifying a $5 million an-
nual savings by using fewer agrichemicals) and has the potential
for increasing revenues (e.g., what McDonald's is most likely hop-
ing as a result of a new adult "Happy Meal" that includes a salad,
an exercise booklet, and a pedometer).

• In our global marketplace, consumers have more options and can
make choices based on criteria beyond product, price, and distrib-
ution channels. Research presented in Chapter 1 emphasized that
consumers are also basing their purchase decisions on reputation
for fair and sustainable business practices and perceptions of com-
mitment to the community's welfare.

• Investors and other stakeholders may also be the driving force,
with increased public scrutiny and use of more sophisticated pres-
sure tactics, including use of the technology and power of the In-
ternet (e.g., an e-mail broadcast sent from an antitobacco group,
letting consumers know that a major retailer had not accepted
their requests to carry pocket cigarette butt containers).

Typical Socially Responsible Business Practices

209

• An interest in increased worker productivity and retention has
turned corporate heads toward ways to improve employee satisfac-
tion and well-being (e.g., Coca-Cola bottlers in South Africa
launching an HIV/AIDS prevention program in the workplace).

• Technology and increased third-party reporting has given in-
creased visibility and coverage of corporate activities, especially
when things go wrong, as with current corporate scandals that
have made the public more suspicious of business, creating the
need for businesses to put a positive shine on their activities. This
is even more critical today, with instant access to 24-hour news
channels such as CNN, online news articles, and e-mail alerts
(e.g., recent publicity that a major communications firm had vio-
lated the "do-not-call list" regulation, and announcement of po-
tential associated fines).

• The bar for full disclosure appears to have been raised, moving po-
tential customers from a "consumer beware" attitude to an expecta-
tion that they will be fully informed regarding practices, including
product content, sources of raw materials, and manufacturing
processes (e.g., Kraft's initiative to label smaller snack and beverage
packages with the nutrition content of the entire package). 2

TYPICAL SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

As might be expected, most initiatives related to socially responsible
practices relate to altering internal procedures and policies, such as those
related to product offerings, facility design, manufacturing, assembly, and
employee support. An initiative can also be reflected in external report-
ing of consumer and investor information and demonstrated by making
provisions for customer access and privacy, and can be taken into consid-
eration when making decisions regarding hiring practices and facility
and plant locations. Common activities include the following:

• Designing facilities to meet or exceed environmental and safety
recommendations and guidelines, such as for increased energy
conservation.

• Developing process improvements, which may include practices such
as eliminating the use of hazardous waste materials, reducing the

209

Socially Responsible Business Practices

amount of chemicals used in growing crops, or eliminating the use
of certain types of oils for deep-fat frying.

Discontinuing product offerings that are considered harmful but not
illegal (e.g., McDonald's discontinuing their supersize portions of
french fries).

Selecting suppliers based on their willingness to adopt or maintain
sustainable environmental practices, and supporting and reward-
ing their efforts.

Choosing manufacturing and packaging materials that are the most
environmentally friendly, taking into consideration goals for
waste reduction, use of renewable resources, and elimination of
toxic emissions.

Providing full disclosure of product materials and their origins and
potential hazards, even going the extra mile with helpful informa-
tion (e.g., including on product packaging the amount of physical
exercise needed to burn the calories and fat contained in the
candy bar, or the number of pounds of pollutants that will be gen-
erated from a gas mower).

Developing programs to support employee well-being, such as work-
place exercise facilities, on-site day care, and Employee Assis-
tance Programs for those with drug-related additions.

Measuring, tracking, and reporting of accountable goals and actions,
including the bad news, as well as the good.

Establishing guidelines for marketing to children to ensure responsible
communications and appropriate distribution channels (e.g., not
selling products online to children ages 18 and under).

Providing increased access for disabled populations using technology
such as assisted listening devices, voice recognition mechanisms,
and alternate print formats.

Protecting privacy of consumer information, an area of increasing con-
cern with the sophisticated data collection, recognition, and track-
ing of individuals and their movements, especially via the Internet
(e.g., an online retailer allowing the customer to purchase products
without providing demographic profile information).

Making decisions regarding plant, outsourcing, and retail locations, rec-
ognizing the economic impact of these decisions on communities.

Potential Corporate Benefits

211

As represented in Table 8.1, although a wide range of industries par-
ticipate in incorporating responsible business practices, the field appears
to be dominated by those in the manufacturing, technology, and agricul-
tural industry categories, where more decisions are made regarding sup-
ply chains, raw material, operational procedures, and employee safety.
Those involved in proposing and developing socially responsible busi-
ness practices most often include operation, facility, corporate social re-
sponsibility, and other senior managers, and to some extent marketing
and strategic planners. Communications regarding the adoption of so-
cially responsible business practices are most often aimed at regulatory
agencies, investors, customers, and special interest groups. Although
most often the corporation develops and implements practices on its
own, it may also do this in partnership with public agencies, nonprofit
organizations, suppliers, and distributors.

POTENTIAL CORPORATE BENEFITS

As will be illustrated in the following examples, a wide range of benefits
have been experienced by corporations that adopt and implement so-
cially responsible business practices, and there appears to be an increas-
ing ability to link these efforts to positive financial results. 3

Financial benefits have been associated with decreased operating
costs, monetary incentives from regulatory agencies, and increased em-
ployee productivity and retention. Marketing benefits are numerous as
well, with the potential for increasing community goodwill, creating
brand preference, building brand positioning, improving product qual-
ity, and increasing corporate respect. And, as with other social initia-
tives, these activities also provide opportunities to build relationships
with external partners such as regulatory agencies, suppliers, and non-
profit organizations.

Decreases Operating Costs

In this example, adoption of discretionary business practices saved the
company money, contributed to environmental sustainability, and in-
creased energy consciousness among employees.

Table 8. 1 Examples of Socially Responsible Business Practices

Corporation

Cause

Target Audiences

Sample Activities

Major Partners/Others

Cisco

Energy

conservation

Facility planners and
managers

Energy saving devices
Plant design

Local utility
EPA

I acq-I rvla
KJ C a - x_- \j Id.

HTV/AinS

1 11 V / i\. 1 L/J

Pmn huppc wil"n H 1 \/ nnn

u,iiipiuy cc5 wiLii i ii v diiu

AIDS

PHi ii^Q t"i nn nnl 'm\ p*c
iJ.LlU.Cd.Lll.Jll jJUHClCa

1 INA1DS
Governments
Pharmaceutical suppliers

Nike

Use sustainable
raw materials

Environment-oriented
customers and potential
customers

Policy development
Changes in product content

Employee action teams

Motorola

Waste reduction

Operations managers
Facility managers

Recycling Process redesign

EPA

Intel

\x//~irL"n 1 arp catp>t"Ar
W (.MlSdJldCC adlCLy

ijiiipiuy ccs ii l liic

manufacturing
environment

I lranrjf 1 in nrnrpccpc
V_>lldliyc 111 piUCCSSca

Communications
Promotions

innl ip>rc
OLipjJllCla

VVI11LC VVtlVC

Piicil offl p ipini^ir
1 UCl CllLClCllCy

I nncumprc intprpstprl in
V^OllaUlLlCiS IIILCICSLCU Ill

wind power

IVCpidCLllg ClCCLllCdl JJtJWCi

with wind energy in
manufacturing plants

EPA

Starbucks

Prntpr t"i n r» t"mnii"al
1 i(JI_Cl_Lliiy LiUjJlCdl

rainforests and
supplier relations

mn 1 iprc/rarmprc
OUpLJllCla/ldllllClS

Employees

1 jeii 7/=> 1 nn i n rr rtt liriP 1 ! inpc
LJC V C ll )y 11 iy gLIlUCllllCa

Training

New coffee product

I /-in QP>r^ 7Q 1"i IntprnQrirmal
V^tJllSCl VdLlUI L lllLCllldLlOI Ldl

Kraft Foods

Obesity

Customers
Employees

Labeling

Packaging size
Education

External council of
advisors

Chiquita

Responsible reporting

Employees

Special interest groups

Certification standards
Guiding values

Rainforest Alliance

Potential Corporate Benefits

213

Example: Cisco and Energy Conservation

Cisco's philosophy for new construction is to "plan it right," which
means thinking about energy efficiency during the design phase.
And for Cisco, this also means bringing together employees who
specialize in the design side with those who have day-to-day work-
ing familiarity with facilities, leveraging each other's expertise.

Cisco used innovative energy conservation technology to design
and build its San Jose headquarters campus to meet and often ex-
ceed California's energy conservation standards and to help main-
tain its valued site certifications. This facility was built to exceed
California State's Title 24 energy standards by 15 to 20 percent. By
exceeding these standards, Cisco not only lowers costs and lessens
environmental impact but also takes advantage of incentives of-
fered by its local energy supplier, Pacific Gas 6k Electric (PG&E).
"At two of our headquarters sites, which include 4-9 million square
feet of space in 25 buildings, we conserve an average of 49.5 mil-
lion kilowatt-hours per year. We expect to save about $4-5 million
per year in operating costs. On top of that, those energy savings
qualified us for $5.7 million in PG&E rebates when construction
was completed," says Sheikh Nayeem, energy manager.

The environmental benefits of Cisco's energy conservation at its
San Jose headquarters are also measurable and impressive. "The
49.5 million kilowatt -hours per year that Site 4 and 5's 25 build-
ings save could power 5,500 homes. Those facilities are also pro-
ducing almost 50 million fewer pounds of carbon dioxide per
year and 14,300 fewer pounds of nitrogen oxide. That's the
equivalent of removing 1,000 cars from the road," says Nayeem. 4

Increases Community Qoodwill for the Corporation

Imagine the goodwill generated across Africa from the strong commit-
ment that Coca-Cola has made to abate the tragic epidemic that has cost
more than 20 million lives across the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. In
2003 an estimated 23.1 million adults age 15-19 and 1.9 million chil-
dren under the age of 15 were living with HIV/AIDS and close to 9,000
new infections occurred each day. 5

214 Socially Responsible Business Practices

Example: Coca-Cola and HIV/AIDS in Africa

The Coca-Cola Company believes that the business community
can play an important role in battling AIDS by putting into
place important initiatives and programs. Since the launch of its
HIV/AIDS program in November 2000, one key strategic thrust
has been to introduce model workplace programs for their 1 ,200
African employees. 6

The HIV/AIDS Workplace Program includes the formation of a
local AIDS Committee; free condoms for all associates; AIDS
awareness and prevention material; peer counselor identification
and training; employee basic HIV/AIDS training; free testing
and counseling on a confidential basis, and medical coverage;
confidential AIDS testing; and access to antiretroviral drugs and
prophylactic treatment.

Along with this program, Coca-Cola developed an HIV/AIDS
corporate policy that commits to non-discrimination on the ba-
sis of HIV/AIDS status; a right to privacy for employees; encour-
agement of voluntary disclosure by an HIV positive associate;
voluntary testing; reasonable accommodation; encouragement
of prevention practices; identification of community resources;
and fostering partnerships with government and NGOs for the
implementation of its HIV/AIDS programs.

In 2002, it was announced that the Coca-Cola Africa Founda-
tion (see Figure 8.1) was expanding this commitment by work-
ing with Coca-Cola's 40 bottlers, which employ 60,000 people
across Africa, to put in place similar comprehensive workplace
prevention programs. The estimated costs of this initiative to
the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation will be between $4 million
and $5 million per year. 7

Creates Brand Preference with Target Markets

As demonstrated in the following example, products can be utilized to
showcase a company's responsible business practices, providing a reason
beyond price and distribution channels to chose one brand over another,

Potential Corporate Benefits

215

9k &*$%J/um #o«,i<tal<c»

Figure 8. 1 Coca-Cola bottlers in Africa have received support from
the company's foundation for comprehensive workplace HIV/AIDS
prevention programs. (Reprinted courtesy of Coca-Cola Foundation.)

especially when target markets care about the focus of the particular ini-
tiative and the marketplace is relatively undifferentiated.

Example: Nike and Environmental Product Innovation

Until the late 1980s, Nike reported, its environmental commit-
ment was to simply be in compliance with regulations and to
support local nonprofit organizations. A small task force of em-
ployees then entered the picture and established an environ-
mental steering committee.

In 1993 this group became a formal department called the Nike
Environmental Action Team (N.E.A.T.). Efforts focused on com-
pliance, recycling, and education, and included the formation of
innovative new programs such as Nike's Reuse -A-Shoe program in
1994- Over the next five years the group's work further strength-
ened the company's commitment to finding even more ways to
help reduce its environmental impact. The group's momentum
evolved into the adoption of Nike's Corporate Environmental Pol-
icy in 1998. The policy was announced both inside and outside the
company, and was endorsed by Nike's CEO and president, who
committed Nike to the company wide pursuit of sustainable busi-
ness practices. This policy served as a tool to communicate the
scope of its environmental commitment inside Nike and to those
who have a stake in Nike's long-term prosperity.

Nike continues to strive to incorporate environmental respon-
sibility throughout its operations and product life cycle. Envi-
ronmental responsibility is now an added dimension of Nike's

216 Socially Responsible Business Practices

product design innovation platform, and the company has set
long-term goals for the environment. This commitment is re-
flected in decisions regarding products and responds to increas-
ing consumer demand for sustainable options as well as the
company's commitment to environmental sustainability. An
insignia (see Figure 8.2) was introduced with the intent to en-
gage consumers in conversations about environmental sustain-
ability. This insignia appears on select Nike product and
service innovations that focus on creating environmental prac-
tices for the business. Examples range from apparel to Nike's
Reuse-A-Shoe and Air To Earth programs. Appearing on hang-
tags, in-store materials, and press releases for select items and
programs, the insignia directs people to www.nikebiz.com
where they can learn more. Since September 2002, a line of
apparel containing cotton that's 100 percent certified organic
has carried the logo.

Builds Influential Partnerships

As mentioned in Chapter 1, Business for Social Responsibility asserts
that companies engaging in responsible business practices may experi-
ence less scrutiny from national as well as local government agencies. "In
many cases, such companies are subject to fewer inspections and less pa-
perwork, and may be given preference or 'fast-track' treatment when ap-
plying for operating permits, zoning variances, or other forms of
governmental permission. The U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines al-
low penalties and fines against corporations to be reduced or even elimi-
nated if a company can show it has taken 'good corporate citizenship'

Figure 8.2 This insignia has been used at times on products and
services focused on responsible environmental business practices.
(Reprinted courtesy of Nike.)

Potential Corporate Benefits

217

actions and has effective ethics program in place." 8 Note the strong rela-
tionship that Motorola has apparently established with an influential
regulatory agency in the following example.

Example: Motorola and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Motorola's environmental vision calls for the company to fully
support sustainable use of the earth's resources, with responsible
business practices concentrated in three major areas: protecting
the land, protecting the air, conserving water. 9

Programs designed to protect the land include a program called
WasteWise, a voluntary U.S. EPA program where organiza-
tions eliminate costly municipal solid waste, benefiting their
bottom line and the environment (see Figure 8.3). Since join-
ing the WasteWise program in 1994, Motorola's U.S. manufac-
turing sites are reported to have recycled almost 125,000 tons
of waste. In the year 2000, Motorola was one of three compa-
nies to be chosen by the EPA as "WasteWise Partner of the
Year for Very Large Business," recognizing these accomplish-
ments in waste reduction. 10

Motorola has also developed packaging reuse systems, such as
the Compack™ system, developed to eliminate the need for sep-
arate product packaging by using a standardized tray to receive
incoming components from suppliers and then reusing the tray
to ship the finished pagers to customers. This system eliminates
over 140 tons of packaging waste each year and saves Motorola
approximately $4-3 million annually. The Compack system was
featured as the "Innovation of the Month" in a U.S. EPA Waste-
Wise bulletin. 11

To contribute to protecting the air, in 1992 Motorola was the sec-
ond electronics firm in the world to eliminate the use of chloro-
fluorocarbons (CFCs) from its manufacturing processes. The
EPA recognized Motorola with the 1991 Stratospheric Ozone
Program Award for its innovative methods for electronic com-
pound cleaning that eliminated the use of CFCs. 12

218 Socially Responsible Business Practices

Preserving Resources,
Preventing Waste

Figure 8.3 Motorola participates on a voluntary basis in the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's waste reduction program.
(Reprinted courtesy of EPA.)

Enhances Employee Well-Being and Satisfaction

As we have seen, most corporate social initiatives can contribute to en-
hanced employee retention and satisfaction efforts, as they engender per-
ceptions of pride in being associated with a company with a strong
reputation for community building and goodwill. Socially responsible
business practices can take this even further, offering the additional ben-

Potential Corporate Benefits

219

efit of actually contributing to improved employee health and safety, as
illustrated in the following example.

Example: Intel and Environmental Health and Safety

Safety at Intel is more than just a corporate initiative; it's an in-
tegral part of the company's culture. It wasn't always that way.
Ten years ago, Intel's safety performance and programs were
fairly average for the semiconductor industry. Today, Intel's
safety programs and performance have achieved world-class lev-
els. One of their long-range goals for environmental health and
safety is to prevent all injuries in the workplace. 13

This dramatic change has entailed transforming how people think
and act toward safety. Such a change in culture requires motivat-
ing employees at all levels to be safety-oriented, and it has de-
manded the commitment of Intel's entire management team.

In 2001, two company managers in Oregon took a novel ap-
proach to safety. They put their hairdos on the line. If the orga-
nization could complete 500 days without an injury, they
promised to shave their heads. The goal was reached, and both
managers had their heads buzzed boot-camp-style bald in front of
a cheering crowd. The head of Intel's Worldwide Safety sees two
great themes emerging from the organization's excellent safety
record: "They have not only achieved and sustained safety excel-
lence, but their management is visibly and personally involved
in setting challenges, and this makes all the difference." 14

Intel's Design for Environment, Health, and Safety program is a
prevention program focusing on early identification of safety
problems that can result from new tool or process methods. It is
believed that "this early intervention and up-front partnering
with suppliers is a key reason why Intel is one of the safest places
in our industry to work." 15

Contributes to Desired Brand Positioning

In the following example, we can imagine that this company's voluntary
decision to alter a business practice is likely to further position this brand

220 Socially Responsible Business Practices

as one with a long history of commitment to sustainable environmental
practices and corporate responsibility.

Example: Silk and Wind Power

In February 2003, White Wave, the country's largest soy foods
manufacturer and producer of the well known Silk Soymilk, an-
nounced it would be replacing the electrical power used in all of its
operations with clean, sustainable, renewable wind energy (see Fig-
ure 8.4). According to the EPA, "White Wave is the largest U.S.
company to purchase 100 percent new wind power for all of its op-
erations, providing an outstanding example of environmental lead-
ership." According to the EPA, White Wave's purchase of wind
power will save approximately 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide
emissions each year — equivalent to taking 3,200 cars off the road.

"White Wave has always been committed to socially responsible
and environmentally sustainable business practices," says Steve
Demos, company founder and president. "We have previously
demonstrated this through our 25-year devotion to the process-
ing of non-genetically modified, organically raised soybeans. To-
day our announcement to purchase wind energy is another
legitimate step in creating a business model that is both prof-
itable and environmentally sound. We believe this initiative is a
partial fulfillment of our corporate responsibility to return to the
marketplace a portion of the profits we derive to meaningful and
environmentally sustainable business practices. We are delighted
to do so without economic impact to the consumer."

White Wave is also encouraging its consumers to purchase wind
energy (a cause promotion initiative in our model). Consumers
can visit their web site to learn more about wind energy and sign
up to purchase wind energy credits for home use. 16

POTENTIAL CONCERNS

Perhaps more than with any other social initiative, corporate motives for
new and more responsible business practices will be questioned, actions

Potential Concerns

221

WhiteWave

Figure 8.4 White Wave, a soy foods manufacturer, purchased 100
percent new wind power for all of its operations. (Reprinted courtesy of
WhiteWave.)

will be judged, and results will be scrutinized. Audiences will ask, "Is this
for doing good or for doing well?" And it will be asked by many, even
most, of the company's constituent groups: customers, the general public,
employees, investors, regulatory agencies, and the media. Common per-
ceptions include the following challenges:

• People will be skeptical of the corporation's motives. They will likely
want to believe the news (e..g., decreased use of harmful chemi-
cals in a manufacturing plant) but will wonder whether the news
is some type of public relations stunt (e.g., it only applies to one
chemical and one type of plant). They'd like to believe this is a
real, substantial change in the way the company will be doing
business going forward, but they will wonder if the campaign is
just to cover up something that the company doesn't want the
public to know or whether it is to distract attention from some
impending bad publicity.

• They will look for actions that back up words and fulfill promises.
When a company, for example, announces a major program with
a renewed emphasis on sustainable building practices, some will
want to know if the company will only make changes in new
plants, or if they will retrofit and upgrade existing ones as well.
When it is written in an annual report that a renewed commit-
ment has been made to recycling in the workplace, what actual
changes in infrastructure will be made? Will separate bins for

Socially Responsible Business Practices

colored paper, glass, and plastic bottles be provided and conve-
niently located throughout the workplace, even in conference
rooms? Are corporate supplies of paper made from recycled and
recyclable materials? Are internal meeting agendas printed on
two sides and do staff members get reminders to print out only
those e-mails that they need to file?

They will want to know if this is a long-term commitment or a short-
term campaign. There will be a big difference in perception be-
tween a company that stresses that "this year we want everyone to
try to join a carpool or vanpool or take the bus to work" and one
that adopts a program that offers free bus passes, covered bike
racks, ride matching, flex cars for personal use, monthly incen-
tives, increased parking charges for single-occupant vehicles, and
visible publication of the names of all employees who have joined
the effort (or not), including senior managers.

They will have questions about whether and how the new practices
will make a real difference. It won't be enough to just say this
will improve the environment, increase employee safety, or pro-
tect consumers. Constituents will want concrete, measurable
facts that demonstrate impact (e.g., number of tons of garbage
that are now being recycled and not going into landfills,
number of employees no longer coming to work in single-
occupant vehicles, and the associated reductions in fuel use and
air pollution).

They will want to know what you used to do. When a new practice
is announced (e.g., more disclosure of product contents), the
next most likely question for many will be "What else haven't
you been telling me?" Or, when a harmful practice is abandoned
(e.g., dumping of pollutants into streams), they will want to
know what harm was done all those years before you banned this
harmful practice.

They will be waiting to hear the results of your efforts. Once reforms
are implemented, audiences will be watching for reports on how
you did relative to published goals (e.g., in annual reports) and, if
you didn't achieve the desired results, what further measures will
be taken. It will be important to report the bad news as well as the
good, externally as well as internally.

Keys to Success

223

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Many keys to success described in the cases to follow address ways to deal
with challenges and concerns facing the implementation and reporting
of new business initiatives. In summary, corporate managers encourage
others to decrease skepticism and criticism by being preemptive; by
choosing an issue that meets a business as well as a social need; by mak-
ing a long-term commitment; by building employee enthusiasm; by de-
veloping and implementing infrastructures to support the promise; and
by providing open, honest, and direct communications.

Starbucks and Conservation International

Starbucks believes in the value of making long-term investments that
will produce social, environmental, and economic benefits for the com-
munities in which it operates. The following case features an initiative
that reflects this commitment, one that rewards environmental conser-
vation and increases economic opportunities for the people who produce
Starbucks' coffees.

This story, told by Starbucks vice president for business practices,
makes a strong case that corporate social initiatives should be proac-
tive, rather than reactive, demonstrating a true commitment, not a de-
fensive response. 17

In October 1998, Starbucks and Conservation International (CI), a
nonprofit conservation organization, began a partnership to support
farmers of shade-grown coffee while also protecting tropical forests.
Through CI's Conservation Coffee program, Starbucks encourages the
production of coffee using cultivation methods that protect biodiver-
sity and provide improved economic opportunities for coffee farmers.

Our first project site was at the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve in
Chiapas, Mexico, a region considered to be one of the world's most
environmentally sensitive. Conservation International and Star-
bucks supported farmers who grow coffee under the protection of
shade, creating and maintaining a forested buffer zone around the re-
serve. In 1999, Starbucks made an initial purchase of 76,000 pounds
of Shade Grown Mexico coffee and began offering it in our U.S. re-
tail locations.

224 Socially Responsible Business Practices

In 2000, the partnership was expanded to include (1) increasing
efforts to promote conservation and improve livelihoods in a wide
range of global biodiversity hotspots; (2) supporting the introduction
of a year-round product line that reflects Starbucks' commitment to
sustainable coffee production; (3) developing coffee-sourcing guide-
lines that promote conservation and improve the livelihood of farm-
ers; and (4) engaging other leaders from the coffee world in a
collaborative effort to set industrywide guidelines for environmental
and social quality.

In fiscal 2001 we invested more than $325,000 in the program,
and in fiscal 2002 we signed a three-year commitment to provide a
minimum of $600,000 to the effort.

Because most of Starbucks' marketing efforts are at the store level,
promotional activities primarily focused on supporting purchases of
shade-grown coffee with point-of-sale material including informa-
tional pamphlets, posters, visibility on packaging, and relying on well-
educated partners (employees) (see Figure 8.5). When we introduced
the coffee, we also invited local and wire reporters to our headquarters
for a coffee tasting and a joint presentation by CI and Starbucks, re-
sulting in millions of media impressions in print and on TV and radio.

In terms of results for the farmers, CI reported that in fiscal
2002 farmers supplying Shade Grown Mexico received an 87 per-

CRISP i REFRESHING

MILD

Figure 8.5 Starbucks believes that support for farmers supplying shade
grown coffee beans will help provide long-term sustainable suppliers.
(Reprinted courtesy of Starbucks.)

Keys to Success

225

cent premium over local prices for their coffee; exports of coffee
from this Chiapas Conservation Coffee program increased 100 per-
cent over fiscal 2001; more than 1,000 farmers participated in the
program, up from 691 the year before; and the milling yield for cof-
fee (green coffee beans resulting from processing raw coffee) in-
creased from 64 percent to 76 percent. And for the environment,
more than 7,400 acres of coffee fields in Chiapas are currently man-
aged using best practices for conservation coffee. Now, Starbucks
and CI are developing similar conservation projects in Colombia
and Peru.

For Starbucks, this initiative has helped us develop a strong
model for how we select and work with an NGO. It has provided the
company with a long-term, sustainable supply of excellent coffee,
and a product for consumers interested in an environmental at-
tribute; and it is a source of pride for our employees and partners,
seen as a serious commitment due to the long-term investment of
significant resources. It has strengthened our reputation as a socially
responsible company. In 2002, we were selected as a recipient of the
2002 World Summit Business Sustainable Development Partner-
ships award with CI by the International Chamber of Commerce
and the United Nations Environment Program. 18

Our experience reinforces the following recommendations for a
successful program:

• Select an issue that meets a company need, as well a social
one. We had a need for a long-term quality supply of coffee,
one consistent with our commitment to conduct business in
ways that provide environmental, social, and economic bene-
fits to the community.

• Focus on an initiative that can be connected to your business.
This adds relevance and credibility to the effort. We were
asked to answer tough questions about the value this will have
to the company, the customers, and the producers.

• Choosing something that will be easy to talk about in the
company will make it easier for you to generate enthusiasm
and support.

• Before beginning a partnership with an NGO, prepare a writ-
ten agreement specifying clear timelines and deliverables.
Then have it signed at the highest level, by both CEOs.

226 Socially Responsible Business Practices

Kraft Foods Qlobal Obesity Initiative

The rise in obesity is among the most important public health challenges
facing the world today. The people at Kraft Foods believe they have a re-
sponsibility along with many others to be part of the solution, and they
want to be. They make it clear that the following initiative described by
a Kraft executive is not a cause promotion, but rather an initiative di-
rected at their own policies, practices, and behaviors as a corporation.
And they say they expect to make a good return on their investment.

In July 2003, we announced that we were initiating a new series of
steps to further strengthen the alignment of our products and market-
ing practices with societal needs. Senior management and functional
leaders from corporate affairs, law, marketing, and R&D were the ini-
tial drivers but the effort has been embraced by the entire Kraft orga-
nization. Their efforts are being supported by a global team of 10
experts from outside the company who will serve on our Worldwide
Health and Wellness Advisory Council, formed to help structure
policies, standards, measures, and timetables for implementation.

The commitments Kraft is making are global in scope and will
focus in four key areas: product nutrition, marketing practices, con-
sumer information, and public advocacy. A few of the planned steps
include providing a broad range of portion-size choices, labeling
smaller snack and beverage packages with the nutrition content of
the entire package, improving the nutrition profile of our products
(see Figure 8.6), eliminating all in-school marketing, and advocating
for public policies to engage schools and communities in helping im-
prove fitness and nutrition.

Costs associated with the initiative will include costs for re-
search and development, capital investments to change manufactur-
ing and packaging processes, and costs of raw materials, which may
go up or down depending on the changes we make.

Awareness of this initiative was created using news releases, the
provision of information on our corporate web site, meetings with
government leaders, and presentations to key stakeholder groups.
We conducted well over 100 media interviews, resulting in wide-
spread media coverage around the world.

At this early stage in the initiative, the primary benefit has
been to Kraft's corporate reputation. Feedback from key con-

Keys to Success

111

gure 8.6 Kraft Foods' Global Obesity Initiative includes improving
e nutritional profile of products. (Reprinted courtesy of Kraft Foods.)

stituencies, including policy influentials, the nutrition and health
community, activists, and media, has been significant and posi-
tive. A U.S. public opinion survey found that the initiative was
received favorably by a strong majority of those who had aware-
ness of it and that a strong majority believed Kraft was doing its
part to address the obesity problem in a responsible way. We be-
lieve there is a significant growth opportunity that this initiative
will ultimately help us capture. As more people become convinced
of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, they are going to want
products and portion sizes that help them meet their goals. We
want to be that company.

From a corporate responsibility perspective, our decision to pro-
ceed with this initiative was driven by six principles:

1. We believe that companies that are seriously out of touch with
societal expectations will find themselves under mounting eco-
nomic, social, and political pressure. Companies that are well
aligned will enjoy growing support in these same three spheres.

228 Socially Responsible Business Practices

2. In deciding which societal concerns a company should address,
focus first on the most relevant, close-to-home issues — the ones
that are hard-wired to your business, where expectations are the
most immediate and the cost of inaction is greatest.

3. Don't wait until an issue reaches a crisis before addressing it. The
longer you wait, the bigger the challenge will be.

4. Actions are more important than words. Make sure there's sub-
stance supporting the rhetoric.

5. In communicating the steps you are taking, be accessible to those
who want to know more.

6. Recognize that change of this magnitude in most large organiza-
tions takes time, patience, and consistent effort from a broad ar-
ray of disciplines to reach the critical tipping point.

Chiquita's Better Banana Initiative

In the following case, the socially responsible business practice of respon-
sible reporting is highlighted.

An article in the December 2, 2002, edition of the Financial Times
described Chiquita's attempt to break with the past, as demonstrated
through its obtaining stringent independent environmental certifica-
tions, developing labor agreements with international and regional
unions, and signing a groundbreaking accord with Southern Hemisphere
unions. The chief operating officer for the company was quoted as say-
ing, "It's hard to change the image of a century-old corporation. But it's
not something we belabor. It happened in the past." The headline for the
article read, "The Banana Giant That Found Its Gentle Side: Corporate
Social Responsibility." 19 Then, in the July/August 2003 issue of
green@work magazine, a cover story featured Chiquita and Ben & Jerry's
as co-winners of an award for sustainability reporting, with a lead story
titled "Banana Split." (See Figure 8.7)

"They couldn't be more different. Ben 6k Jerry's is the quintessential
do-gooder corporation founded by two school chums in a renovated gas
station in Vermont that has captured the environmental mantle in the
food industry," the story read. "Chiquita Brands, a huge multinational
corporation, has had a long and sometimes unsavory history that in-
cludes accusations of unfair labor practices and bankruptcy. Aside from

Keys to Success

229

Figure 8.7 Chiquita and Ben & Jerry's were featured as co winners
for sustainability reporting in green@work magazine's July/August
2003 issue. (Photo courtesy of green@work magazine, photographer
Jim Robinette.)

230 Socially Responsible Business Practices

producing two of the world's favorite foods — ice cream and bananas,
which just happen to work well together — they are seemingly poles apart
in every way. How is it then that these two ended up as co-winners of an
award for sustainability reporting?" 20

In the following highlight, Chiquita provides more background
about the changes that led to this positive visibility for the corporation's
effort, and shares what the company considers its five keys to success.

In the late 1990s, Chiquita was the target of significant criticism re-
garding environmental and labor practices from news media and
nongovernmental organizations, even though we had already begun
the process of achieving certification for meeting rigorous standards
established by the Rainforest Alliance. This led the management
team to answer several tough questions:

• We believe we operate ethically, but how do we know?

• Do we have a set of guiding principles to align employees
throughout the company?

• How do we know we are living up to them?

We then initiated a comprehensive and very inclusive process to de-
velop Chiquita's guiding values — what we call our Core Values —
one of which is the statement that "We communicate in an open,
honest, and straightforward manner." These efforts have garnered
considerable attention and some important awards. In addition to
the co-award with Ben 6k Jerry's, we were ranked first in the world
among food companies by SustainAbility and the United Nations
Environment Programmme for our 2000 Corporate Responsibility
Report. While we didn't start reporting to win awards, these awards
validate that what stakeholders really respect most is openness and
honesty in reporting, and it is an indication that we are being recog-
nized for exactly what we are trying to do.

Rather than trumpet our corporate responsibility successes, we
have purposely taken a more low-key approach, in particular, letting
our actions speak louder than our words, and letting independent
observers point out our successes. We believe this approach has been
successful and is perceived to be more credible than a high-profile
marketing or public relations effort.

It has taken more than $20 million and eight years to fully
comply with the Rainforest Alliance certifications standards on

A Major Socially Responsible Business Practice Initiative 23 1

100 percent of our farms in the five countries of Central America
where we operate.

We can quantify financial benefits (e.g., in 2002, we saved more
than $5 million compared to 1997 by using fewer agrichemicals, and
a pallet recycling program saved us $3 million a year) but rescuing
our reputation has been priceless. Employee pride has clearly im-
proved. The value of the Chiquita brand has risen. Activist cam-
paigns directed against us in the late 1990s have essentially gone
away. The tone of our media coverage has turned around.

We have summarized keys to our success as the "Five Cs":

1. First is conviction. Corporate responsibility is about real im-
provement in business performance, not public relations.

2. Second is commitment. At Chiquita, we've made a fundamen-
tal commitment to values and assigned ownership and ac-
countability to our operating managers. When we commit,
we deliver.

3. Third is communication. We have committed to open, honest,
and direct communication with all of our stakeholders.

4. Fourth is consistency. This is indeed a process of continuous
improvement. We have tied corporate responsibility goals to
our everyday management and reward systems. Corporate re-
sponsibility is an essential part of Chiquita's culture and cen-
tral to our strategy.

5. And finally, corporate responsibility is about credibility. We
know that our ability to improve — and your ability to trust
our performance — depends on the credibility of our effort.
That's why we've committed to achieve verifiable third-party
standards, measure our performance honestly, and report our
progress transparently — even when we don't always meet cer-
tain goals.

WHEN SHOULD A CORPORATION CONSIDER
A MAJOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
PRACTICE INITIATIVE?

Some consider the word responsibility, whether at the personal or corporate
level, to mean "ability to respond," as opposed to a focus on blame. Looking

232 Socially Responsible Business Practices

at it from this perspective, a corporation should regularly review and con-
sider new or modified business practices that will improve the quality of life
and, at the same time, provide some net benefit to the corporation, ideally
financial, operational, relationship-building, or marketing in nature. Cir-
cumstances that might provide this optimal situation could include the fol-
lowing (most references are to examples cited earlier in this chapter):

• When a company has been offered a financial incentive to alter a
business practice for the benefit of the environment, most typi-
cally from an external public or regulatory agency (e.g., Cisco's
incentive from the local energy supplier to meet or exceed guide-
lines for energy conservation).

• When the adoption of a new practice would reduce operating costs,
as well as contribute to a social issue (e.g., Chiquita saving mil-
lions each year after reducing its use of select chemicals).

• When a current business practice can be identified (in part) as
contributing to an important social problem, and modifications and
improvements would help address the issue (e.g., McDonald's de-
ciding to phase out supersize options).

• When there is an opportunity to improve employee health, safety, or
well-being by altering a business practice or investing in infrastruc-
tures and educational communications (e.g., Coca Cola's
HIV/AIDS workplace program).

• When engagement in this practice can add an important point of
differentiation to target markets in a crowded, undifferentiated
marketplace (e.g., Nike offering a line of products made with en-
vironmentally friendly materials).

• When there are opportunities for alliances that will strengthen the
brand's positioning (e.g., Motorola's participation in EPA's waste re-
duction program).

• When the adoption of the practice could actually improve product
quality or performance, providing increased value and points of dif-
ference (e.g., compact fluorescent light bulbs that use less energy
and last longer).

• When investments or changes in practices will strengthen relation-
ships with suppliers or distributors (e.g., Starbucks providing training
and economic opportunities to ensure a long-term sustainable
supply of excellent coffee).

Summary

233

DEVELOPING THE INITIATIVE

Based on experiences of professionals, including ones contributing to
cases in this chapter, major decisions involved in adapting and imple-
menting socially responsible business practices will focus on the process
of carefully selecting the social issue that the initiative will support; de-
veloping integrated, strategic plans for implementation; and setting and
tracking measurable goals.

As indicated in many of the case examples, most recommend that
business needs should be identified first. There might be an emerging or cur-
rent objective for reduced operating costs, improved supplier relations, or
reduced regulatory oversight, or there may be important marketing chal-
lenges such as repositioning of the brand or standing out in an undifferen-
tiated, crowded marketplace. Next, major social problems are identified
that the company could contribute to through altered business practices
and investments. As with other social initiatives, a cause should be se-
lected that is substantial, consistent with company mission and values, and
one that key publics care about. The actual initiative (business practice to
be adopted or altered) is then selected based on an assessment of potential
for meeting business objectives and contributing to the social cause.

Experienced experts have also stressed the need for an integrated,
planned approach for implementation, one involving and backed by execu-
tive management. New or revised business practices should be supported
through employee communications and any related needs for education
and training. In many cases, there will need to be important changes to
infrastructure to facilitate the adoption of new practices and to ensure
more substance than rhetoric.

And finally, encourage accountability by setting goals and establishing
mechanisms for measuring, tracking, and reporting results. Many recom-
mend developing communication plans that include publishing goals, re-
porting on progress, and, in the event that goals are not met, identifying
and then publishing corrective action plans to ensure continued com-
mitment and progress toward the goal.

SUMMARY

To implement socially responsible business practice initiatives, a corpora-
tion adopts and conducts discretionary business practices and investments

234 Socially Responsible Business Practices

that support social causes to improve community well-being and protect
the environment. Key distinctions from other initiatives include a focus
on activities that are discretionary; community is interpreted broadly; and
community well-being can refer to health and safety, as well as psychologi-
cal and emotional needs.

Over the last decade there has been an apparent shift from adopting
more responsible business practices as a result of regulatory citations,
consumer complaints, and special interest group pressures, to proactive
research exploring corporate solutions to social problems and incorporat-
ing new business practices that will support these issues. Several factors
may be contributing to this shift: evidence that socially responsible busi-
ness practices can actually increase profits; a global marketplace with in-
creased competition and consumer options; interest in increased worker
productivity and retention; and increased visibility and coverage of cor-
porate socially responsible (or irresponsible) activities.

Most initiatives relate to altering internal procedures and policies,
external reporting of consumer and investor information, making provi-
sions for customer access and privacy, and making decisions regarding
suppliers and facility and plant locations.

Resultant financial benefits have been associated with decreased op-
erating costs, monetary incentives from regulatory agencies, and in-
creased employee productivity and retention. Marketing benefits are
numerous as well, with the potential for increasing community goodwill,
creating brand preference, building brand positioning, improving prod-
uct quality, and increasing corporate respect. These activities also pro-
vide opportunities to build relationships with external partners such as
regulatory agencies, suppliers, and nonprofit organizations.

Experts warn that corporate motives for new and more responsible
business practices will be questioned, actions will be judged, and results will
be scrutinized. Corporate managers encourage others to decrease skepticism
and criticism by being preemptive; choosing an issue that meets a business
as well as a social need; making a long-term commitment; building em-
ployee enthusiasm; developing and implementing infrastructures to support
the promise; and providing open, honest, and direct communications.

Major decisions involved in adapting and implementing socially re-
sponsible business practices will focus on the process of carefully select-
ing the social issue that the initiative will support; developing
integrated, strategic plans for implementation; and setting measurable
goals and establishing plans for tracking and reporting results.

CHAPTER

Twenty-five Best Practices
for Doing the Most Good for
the Company and the Cause

It is true that economic and social objectives have long been seen as dis-
tinct and often competing. But this is a false dichotomy; it represents an
increasingly obsolete perspective in a world of open, knowledge-based
competition. Companies do not function in isolation from the society
around them. In fact, their ability to compete depends heavily on the cir-
cumstances of the locations where they operate.

— Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer 1

This book has been written to support managers to choose, de-
velop, implement and evaluate corporate social initiatives such
that they will do the most good for the company and the cause.
Its purpose is to help guide decision making in the area of corporate so-
cial responsibility, resulting in efforts that do the most social, environ-
mental, and economic good. It is, in the end, intended to help maximize
the return on discretionary corporate investments in improving the qual-
ity of life, with the hope that future participation in these efforts is in-
creasingly satisfying. We discussed early on that it is no longer just
acceptable that the corporation does well by doing good. It is expected.

235

236 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

Then what can we conclude is good 1 .

For the cause that is supported by corporate social initiatives, good is
the increased realization of several potential benefits. The six corporate
initiatives featured in this book have been seen to provide multiple ben-
efits for a cause and for the charities supporting these causes. As many re-
cipients of corporate contributions to their causes have indicated, these
initiatives can:

• Enhance public awareness and concern for the cause through support
of promotional communication efforts (e.g., Ben 6k Jerry's cam-
paign to increase concern about global warning).

• Support fundraising by encouraging customers and others in the com-
munity to contribute to causes (e.g., British Airways' campaign that
collects pocket change from passengers for children's charities).

• Increase community participation in cause-related activities by provid-
ing promotional support and use of distribution channels (e.g.,
PETsMART periodically providing space in their stores for adopt-
ing animals).

• Support efforts to influence individual behavior change and industry
business practices that improve public health (e.g., Coca-Cola
Africa Foundation's HIV/AIDS workplace initiative) and safety
(e.g., FedEx's SAFE KIDS Walk This Way program) and protect
the environment (e.g., Best Buy's effort to support recycling of
used computers).

• Provide increased funds and other resources that help charities and
cause efforts make ends meet and/or expand efforts (e.g., General
Mills providing grants for projects that improve youth nutrition
and physical activity levels).

• Increase the number of volunteers donating their expertise, ideas,
and physical labor to a cause by promoting volunteerism in the
community and supporting employee volunteer efforts (e.g., Shell
employees helping with coastal cleanups).

At the same time, we have seen through examples and perspectives
provided by corporate executives how these efforts to give back to the
community also give back to the company. They can help:

• Build a strong corporate reputation, as key constituents observe ac-
tions that support promises of good corporate citizenship and re-
sponsibility (e.g., Kraft's initiative to to help address obesity).

Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

237

Contribute to overall business goals by opening up new markets, for
example, or providing opportunities to build long-term relation-
ships with distributors and suppliers (e.g., Starbucks' initiative to
support farmers who provide shade-grown coffee).

Attract and retain a motivated workforce by being known for in-
volvement in the community, and for providing employees an op-
portunity to become involved in something they care about and
to receive corporate support and recognition for doing so (e.g., the
personal stories shared about volunteering by FedEx Company
employees that "changed their lives").

Reduce operating costs by adopting new socially responsible busi-
ness practices, such as procedures that increase efficiency and re-
duce costs for materials (e.g., Cisco saving several million dollars
each year through energy saving construction and implementa-
tion of energy saving guidelines).

Reduce regulatory oversight by working closely with regulatory agen-
cies to meet or exceed guidelines, thereby increasing confidence and
building strong relationships for the future (e.g., Motorola's recogni-
tion for participation in the EPA's waste reduction program).

Support marketing objectives by building traffic, enhancing brand po-
sitioning, creating product differentiation, reaching niche markets,
attracting new customers, and increasing sales, especially when
products and services are an integral part of program efforts (e.g.,
Home Depot's initiative to support water conservation, including
connections of products to specific conservation practices).

Build strong community relationships with organizations and agen-
cies that can provide technical expertise, extend campaign
reach by providing access to members and donors also support-
ing the cause; and offer credible endorsement for the corpora-
tion's effort and commitment (e.g., Aleve's partnership with the
Arthritis Foundation, including sponsorship for the nationwide
Arthritis Walk).

Leverage current corporate social initiative efforts and investments by
including additional ones that further connect the company to
the cause, thus increasing chances for both an impact on the so-
cial problem and a greater return on current investments (e.g.,
Dell adding a volunteer component to its recycling initiative by
involving employee volunteers in recycling events).

238 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

BEST PRACTICES FOR CHOOSING A
SOCIAL PROBLEM TO ALLEVIATE

Social needs seem endless and the options to provide support over-
whelming. At a global as well as local level, we should have no problem
finding a cause that needs corporate support, from those that help ensure
basic needs are met in the community to those that improve health, pre-
vent injuries, increase public involvement, and protect the environ-
ment. The problem is in choosing well among the options. The
following six practices help guide strategic decision-making.

1. Choose Only a Few Social Issues to Support.

Many executives interviewed for this book stressed the importance of
picking only a few major social issues as a focal point for corporate citi-
zenship and giving. Washington Mutual shared that their strategic focus
on improving K-12 education had been in place for more than 75 years,
since their beginning in 1927. It is clear that Avon is on a crusade for
women's health and REI has a passion for environmental protection.
The benefits of this practice seem obvious now and are reminiscent of
benefits a corporation realizes when it selects target markets and devel-
ops entire marketing strategies to win them over. It increases chances
that the company can actually have an impact on a particular social ini-
tiative, as resources are focused and multiple initiatives aimed at one
cause. It makes it easier to "say no" to others, as the company can point
to their priority areas for giving. It increases chances that the company
will be able to develop long-term, often coveted relationships with
strong desirable partners, as they, too, will be looking for a partner will-
ing to provide significant resources and make a long-term commitment.
Finally, targeting resources in a few areas increases chances that the cor-
poration will be connected to the cause and will therefore leverage po-
tential brand positioning and other desired marketing benefits.

2. Choose Issues That Are of Concern in the Communities Where
You Do Business.

Improving communities where facilities are located, where future work-
forces will be recruited, and where customers live can support both social
and economic goals. As noted earlier, The Home Depot demonstrated this

Best Practices for Choosing a Social Problem to Alleviate 239

practice when it focused on the issue of water conservation in a commu-
nity threatened by drought; and Levi Strauss was one of the first to step
forward in the San Francisco Bay area to support HIV/AIDS prevention.
American Express, with over 4,000 employees displaced as a result of the
September 1 1 attacks, was a natural to help revitalize downtown Manhat-
tan. And Kraft committed to helping reduce obesity in their market-
place — our nation. Focusing on issues of concern in these communities
and for those living in them increases chances that efforts will be noticed
and valued among key publics. It adds credibility and believability to stan-
dard statements in annual reports and sales catalogues proclaiming, "We
believe in giving back to the communities where we do business." It may
also help solve real problems facing a business, such as ensuring a future
trained workforce, quality suppliers, and even a robust economy.

3. Choose Causes That Have Synergy with Mission, Values,
Products, and Services.

Just as we develop and offer products and services that are consistent
with our company's mission and then promote and deliver them in a way
that reflects our company's values, we should also choose areas of focus
for social initiatives that have the same synergy. Often the choice will be
obvious, as it must have been for Crest when its leaders learned more
about the "silent epidemic" of oral disease in America, especially among
low-income children. Similarly, it must have been an obvious choice for
life vest manufacturer Mustang Survival when it was approached by a re-
gional children's hospital to support a campaign to help reduce the num-
ber of drownings among children. For AT&T, a partnership with the
American Red Cross that included donations of phones to support the
organization's disaster relief efforts seems easy, as does General Motors'
dealership support of car seat safety checks. When corporations con-
tribute to causes that make sense, we find consumers are less suspicious,
investors are less likely to judge the effort as peripheral, and employees
are more likely to have the needed expertise and passion to volunteer.

4. Choose Causes That Have Potential to Support Business Qoals:
Marketing, Supplier Relations, Increased Productivity,

Cost Reductions.

Subject experts such as Michael Porter of Harvard Business School and
Mark Kramer, managing director of the Foundation Strategy Group, say

240 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

this simultaneous support for business goals is true strategic philanthropy.
"It is only where corporate expenditures produce simultaneous social and
economic gains that corporate philanthropy and shareholder interests
converge. ... It is here that philanthropy is truly strategic." 2 Starbucks
was clear that support for shade-grown coffee was important for the envi-
ronment, but it also ensures a long-term supply of quality coffee. Safeco
realized marketing benefits and potential cost reductions through its
partnerships with fire departments in communities where home owners
(customers and target markets for many of its insurance products) were
provided with informational materials on helping prevent or mitigate
fire damage. And Chiquita saved millions of dollars a year by using fewer
agrichemicals and from its pallet recycling program. In each of these ex-
amples, the corporation chose to support a social issue that had potential
for contributing to business goals, as well as a connection to the com-
pany's mission, values, communities, and products and services.

5. Choose Issues That Are of Concern to Key Constituent Qroups:
Employees, Target Markets, Customers, Investors, and
Corporate Leaders.

Support for social initiatives will be leveraged when the cause is also
one near and dear to our key publics, both internal and external.
LensCrafter's successful collection of used eyeglasses is a reflection of
the involvement and enthusiasm that customer-contact staff have for
giving the "Gift of Sight." Parents concerned with SIDS were most
likely grateful for the just-in-time reminder from Pampers to place an
infant on its "Back to Sleep." Potential customers for Silk Soymilk may
be motivated to choose this product from the lineup on the shelf when
they hear of the parent company's commitment to using 100 percent
wind power for all of its operations. Investors were perhaps encouraged
if they read reports from Motorola that their new packaging reuse sys-
tems were expected to save several million dollars each year. And cor-
porate leaders are probably pleased, perhaps even relieved, when they
receive reports on employee volunteer efforts such as Shell's coastal
cleanup effort in Australia. The successes of most social initiatives re-
viewed in this book have clearly relied on the connection and reso-
nance the efforts have with one or more of these key constituent groups.
Such connection should therefore be factored into decisions on what
causes to support.

Best Practices for Selecting a Social Initiative

241

6. Choose Causes That Can Be Supported over a Long Term.

Achieving maximum benefits for the company (and the cause) often de-
pends on long-term commitments, frequently considered three or more
years. As with most communication efforts, it takes numerous exposures to
messages and events before an effort is noticed and before targeted audi-
ences for fundraising efforts and especially behavior change campaigns will
act. It also most often takes a long period of time to make a dent in a social
problem, whether supporting medical research for cancer cures or reducing
levels of toxic emissions from manufacturing plants. Long-term commit-
ments can also be more economical, as early years in program efforts are of-
ten consumed with steep learning curves and coordination with cause
partners, and efforts get more efficient in subsequent years. And finally,
those companies who stick with the cause over the years are more likely to
be able to own it, as does The Body Shop after staying the course with
campaigns 'Against Animal Testing" in the cosmetic industry. Even if a
competitor decided to move in on this point of differentiation, many con-
sumers are likely to know that The Body Shop was there first.

Those who practice this principle ask themselves and their partners
whether this effort will be one that will be a social concern over the next
several years; whether it will have continued connection to the com-
pany's mission, values, products, and services; and whether key publics
will continue to care. Given these criteria, it seems it would make sense
for Lysol to make a long-term commitment to Keep America Beautiful;
for Target to continue to help local public schools, for Aleve to continue
sponsoring walks for the Arthritis Foundation; for ConAgra to help feed
millions of hungry children in our country; and for Microsoft to "unleash
the potential in every person, family, and business" by providing people
with access to technology and the education to put it to use.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SELECTING A SOCIAL
INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE

Once a social issue has been chosen (ideally as an area of focus for the
company), all six initiatives should then be evaluated for potential to
contribute to the cause, as well as to the company. Table 9. 1 summarizes
major strengths associated with each initiative, both for the company
and for the cause. As the following guidelines suggest, managers will

Table 9.1 Major Potential Benefits from Corporate Social Initiatives

Socially

Cause

l TUTnOUUTlS

Cause-Related

\ A /j v\ rr

LvLajKeung

Social
rviuTKeuTig

Corporate
L niLuninropy

Community
v uiwnieenng

Responsible

DUSITLCSS I TULLlCCS

For the Cause

Increased

awareness and
concern for the
cause

Major strength

Support for
fundraising

Major strength

Increased

participation in
cause

Major strength

Major
strength

Major strength

Changes in

public behavior

Major strength

Increased funds
and other
resources

Major strength

Major
strength

For the Company

Build strong
corporate
reputation

Major strength

Major
strength

Major strength

Contribute to general
business goals

Major strength

Attract and

retain motivated
workforce

Major strength

Major
strength

Major strength

Reduce

operating costs

Major strength

Reduce regulatory
oversight

Major strength

Support marketing
objectives

Major strength

Build strong
community
relationships

Major strength

Major
strength

Major strength

Leverage current
corporate social
initiatives

Major strength

Major
strength

Major strength

244 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

evaluate initiatives relative to their potential for contributing to specific
business and cause-related objectives and goals. These best practices also
incorporate additional considerations based on perspectives of managers
interviewed for this book, as well as academic and other experts on cor-
porate social responsibility.

1. Select Initiatives That Best Meet Business Objectives and Qoals.

As illustrated with numerous examples throughout this book, corporate in-
volvement in social initiatives can support a variety of business objectives
and goals. At this phase in the planning process, managers should identify
priority needs that might be met through supporting cause efforts, consider-
ing financial, marketing, corporate reputation, operational, and employee-
related goals. Premera Blue Cross's interest in reducing costs associated with
upper respiratory infections, for example, was one factor that guided their
decision to partner with others to support a cause promotion initiative that
would increase public awareness and concern with the overuse of antibi-
otics, and a social marketing initiative to encourage physicians to practice
more conservative measures when prescribing antibiotics.

2. Select Initiatives That Meet Priority Needs for the Cause.

Initiatives that have the potential to meet business objectives and goals
are then evaluated against priority needs that have been identified for a
cause, zeroing in on those with the most perceived potential to meet
both needs. In the case described in Chapter 5 where Safeco (a personal
and business insurance company) decided to support a social marketing
initiative, Safeco's first offer to the fire department in Oregon was actu-
ally to donate money to help purchase firefighting equipment — a philan-
thropic initiative. Further discussions with the fire marshal in Oregon,
however, shifted the initiative to supporting a social marketing campaign
that would persuade home owners to establish defensible space around
their house. The reasons were expressed well by the fire marshal, who
claimed, "A new piece of equipment might save one more home. But to
really save homes, individuals have to take personal responsibility for
their property before the fire." 3 This social marketing initiative has the
potential to do the most good for Safeco, supporting marketing goals and
potential cost reductions, as well as for the prevention of wildfires in this
region and in others around the country.

Best Practices for Selecting a Social Initiative

245

3. Select Multiple Initiatives for a Single Cause, Adding Ones
Missing for Current Cause Efforts.

Just as skilled marketers practice a fundamental principle of integrated
marketing communications, those involved in selecting social initiatives
can benefit from a similar practice. In the case of an integrated market-
ing approach, a company's communications and media channels are co-
ordinated so that messages regarding the company and its products are
"consistent, clear, and compelling." 4 Similarly, when a company engages
in a variety of initiatives to support a chosen social issue, it increases the
likelihood that the company will be clearly associated with the cause,
and at the same time will be able to provide more support for the cause
than it might through just one initiative. Ben 6k Jerry's global warming
campaign exemplifies this practice. As noted in Chapter 3, one compo-
nent of this effort was a cause promotion to increase awareness of the
threats of global warming. The effort was integrated into other initiatives
as well. It included a cause-related marketing effort, where a percentage
of sales of the One Sweet Whirled ice cream flavor have gone to organi-
zations that are working to fight global warming; a social marketing com-
ponent, where consumers were encouraged to send letters to congress
and to make personal pledges to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions; a
philanthropic initiative, where grants have been provided for efforts
aimed at addressing global warming; a community volunteer component,
in which employees are encouraged to "park your car for a day" and find
alternative transportation to work; and socially responsible business
practices. One example of the latter was announced in August 2002:
The company would offset one year's carbon dioxide emissions from its
Vermont ice cream production facilities by supporting the construction
of a new wind turbine in South Dakota. 5

4. Select Initiatives Representing the Most Potential for Strong
Community Partners.

Companies should also evaluate potential initiatives relative to their
ability to create relationships with partners in the nonprofit as well as
public sector, ones that will add resources as well as credibility to the ini-
tiative. As we saw, Crest's interest in improving oral health, especially
among children in underserved minority communities, resulted in a
cause promotion and social marketing partnership with the Boys 6k Girls
Clubs of America that was applauded by the U.S. Surgeon General. And

246 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

Johnson & Johnson's campaign to enhance the image of the nursing pro-
fession built relationships with key publics for the company, including
health care organizations and nursing associations around the world.

5. Select Initiatives Where You Have a History of Experience.

Each of the six initiatives has its own unique set of keys to success, as
well as challenges. One consideration when choosing among potential
new initiatives is the company's track record and experience in develop-
ing and managing prior initiatives, providing an opportunity to capitalize
on lessons learned and to be up and running with greater efficiencies.
American Express's most recent campaign to revitalize lower Manhattan
no doubt benefited from the company's experience in cause-related mar-
keting efforts over the past two decades. And the experience that Fannie
Mae has had over the past 15 years with sponsoring an annual employee
volunteer effort in the Washington Metropolitan area to "Help the
Homeless" has enabled it to grow the program from raising $90,000 the
first year to $6.2 million in its 15th year. 6

6. Select Initiatives That Will Leverage Current
Abundant Resources.

Consider which initiative(s) will leverage current resources, especially
those that are both highly valued by the cause and underutilized by the
company or that can be provided at low cost. Resources to support cause
promotions, for example, may simply require additional messages on ex-
isting communications (e.g., PARADE magazine's feature story to raise
awareness and funds for child hunger relief). Cause-related marketing ef-
forts can often piggyback on current paid product advertising (e.g.,
LYSOL®'s campaign that included product coupons promising donations
from revenues would go to Keep America Beautiful). Social marketing
efforts can benefit from existing distribution channels and product label-
ing (e.g., food growers' support for the 5-A-Day program that includes ef-
forts such as stickers on fruit and the 5-A-Day logo on vegetable
packages). Philanthropic initiatives can include donation of existing re-
sources (e.g., Microsoft providing technology skills training for disadvan-
taged individuals through community-based technology and learning
centers, including grants of software). Community volunteering efforts

Best Practices for Developing Social Initiative Programs

247

can be tied to existing research and development activities (e.g.,
Hewlett-Packard working side-by-side with citizens in underserved com-
munities, an effort that generated new product ideas and helped build
new markets for the company). And socially responsible business prac-
tices can be incorporated when designing new facilities and revamping
current operational procedures (e.g., Cisco's new facility design to sup-
port energy conservation).

BEST PRACTICES FOR DEVELOPING
SOCIAL INITIATIVE PROGRAMS

Many of the best practices compiled here for developing corporate social
initiative programs have been formulated in response to the concerns
and challenges identified by those sharing their experiences in this book,
as well as academic and subject experts. We heard of concerns associated
with appropriate visibility for the corporation's efforts, coordination with
cause partners, staff time for involvement and administration, potential
need for external expertise, expenses for promotions, anticipated public
skepticism, and tracking resource expenditures. Major concerns associ-
ated with each initiative are summarized in Table 9.2, and the following
descriptions of best practices are intended to minimize the potential risks
and costs associated with development processes and implementation of
each initiative.

1. Form Internal, Cross-Functional Teams to Develop Plans.

Program plans often have the most impact and are most efficiently ad-
ministered when developed by teams with representatives from various
departments within the company, teams that may include those from
marketing, finance, operations, facilities management, human resources,
and executive administration. This is especially important at the begin-
ning of campaign planning, when program objectives and goals are es-
tablished, as such teamwork can be critical to building internal support
for activities as well as setting realistic expectations for program out-
comes. Cisco shared its philosophy, relative to designing and building
environmentally sensitive facilities, that "planning it right" included
combining people who specialized in facility design with people who

Table 9.2 Major Potential Concerns in Undertaking Initiatives

Cause
Promotions

Cause-Related
Marketing

Social
Marketing

Corporate
Philanthropy

Community
Volunteering

Socially
Responsible
Business Practices

Visibility for corporate
efforts can easily
be lost.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Major potential
concern

Coordination with
cause partners can
be time consuming.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Major potential
concern

Staff time and
involvement can
be significant.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Efforts may require
external expertise.

Major potential
concern

Promotional
expenses can be
significant.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Major potential
concern

Consumers may be
skeptical of corporate
motivations and
commitment.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Major potential
concern

Tracking resource
expenditures and
valuecan be difficult
and expensive.

Major potential
concern

Major
potential
concern

Best Practices for Developing Social Initiative Programs

249

have day-to-day working familiarity with the buildings. Effective plan-
ning required collaboration between groups with different expertise, in-
cluding those from facility design, operations, and engineering.

2. Include Community Partners in Plan Development.

Similarly, involving community partners early in the planning process
will maximize program effectiveness and efficiency. Partners should be
included in establishing program goals and objectives, laying the founda-
tion for strategic solutions, and aligning expectations regarding out-
comes. They should be included in developing strategic communication
plans, especially decisions regarding target audiences, key messages, and
key media channels, a process that will help avoid costly and time-con-
suming reworks of promotional materials. Partner involvement in craft-
ing implementation plans will help avoid misunderstandings and
confusions regarding roles and responsibilities. The water conservation
campaign that Home Depot participated in, for example, required strate-
gic coordination with all community partners, including more than 25
local water providers, a local news channel, and a communications firm.

3. Establish Clear Objectives and Measurable Qoals (Outcomes) for
the Company.

The often difficult and elusive task of program evaluation can be eased
considerably by taking time in the program planning process to establish
clear objectives and measurable goals for the initiative, ones that will
then be used to evaluate program success. Corporate objectives may in-
clude those related to business needs (e.g., reduce energy costs in new fa-
cilities), marketing needs (e.g., increase share of toddler's life vest sales),
employee-related needs (e.g., attract talented, motivated employees) or
needs related to corporate reputation and goodwill (e.g., reduce levels of
toxic emissions). Goals, in this typology, are ideally measurable, specific,
realistic, and time-oriented.

4. Establish Clear Objectives and Measurable Qoals (Outcomes) for
the Cause.

This same practice holds true for the cause as well. In Athena's story, for
example, we learned that the company's CEO had established clear ob-

250 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

jectives to raise money for women's cancer research and specific measur-
able goals to capture at least 5 percent of the bottled market in the
Northwest, which would mean a possible donation of $ 1 million a year
for research and education.

5. Develop a Communications Plan.

As we learned, opinions regarding corporate recognition for social initia-
tives vary significantly. Some recommend "don't be shy" and others have
a company policy to "let others do the talking." Regardless of philo-
sophic perspectives on corporate recognition, developing a communica-
tions plan for the initiative is a best practice. Often it will necessitate
separate strategies for several key audiences: target markets for the initia-
tive; external publics, such as investors, regulatory agencies, and suppli-
ers; and employees and other internal stakeholders. Communication
plans should identify traditional strategic components including commu-
nication objectives, key messages, and key media channels for each of
the targeted audiences. Communication objectives should signal desired
audience outcomes (e.g., increases in awareness, concern, participation,
and/or individual behavior change). Including a call to action as a key
message has been show to assist tracking and evaluation efforts, and uti-
lization of existing media channels and distribution outlets can help re-
duce promotional costs.

6. Identify and Plan for Additional Strategic Elements.

Most initiatives will also include additional strategic elements beyond
communications that are incorporated into the planning process. Cause
promotions often rely on employee involvement, benefiting from a coor-
dinated effort, such as the one that was key to the Wal-Mart initiative to
raise money for Children's Miracle Network. Cause-related marketing
initiatives involve decisions regarding product ties, timelines, and more
complex agreements with cause partners, as must have been the case
with Comcast's cause-related marketing effort to raise money for Ronald
McDonald House Charities and to coordinate this effort with coupons
for McDonald's products. Social marketing initiatives often involve sup-
port for public engagement, as illustrated by Dell's printer recycling ini-

Best Practices for Developing Social Initiative Programs

251

tiative that included providing prepaid shipping labels and arranging for
free pick up of outdated printers. Philanthropic planning efforts will in-
volve deliberation over specific forms of giving, and then development
of programs for implementation, as we can imagine must have taken
place for General Mills in selecting and administering grants for im-
proved nutrition and physical activity. Community volunteering will
also entail selecting types of employee support and then, in many cases,
developing systems such as the volunteer match programs offered for
AT&T Wireless employees. And socially responsible business practices
can require plans for significant changes as they may involve new work
processes, negotiations with suppliers, and decisions on facility design
and locations.

7. Qet Senior Management Buy -In.

Most managers seeking support for corporate social initiatives recog-
nize and report that executives express a desire to give back and to
care for the communities that support their business. The challenge is
in getting approval for what will be supported and for how much. Ear-
lier in this chapter, a best practice of involving senior management in
choosing causes for focus and agreeing on types of initiative to support
the cause was emphasized. The same principle holds true for the
development of implementation plans, as this is when important deci-
sions regarding budgets will be made, staff resources will be commit-
ted, and current business practices may be altered. Planners most
likely recognize they need to be prepared for tough questions and
straight answers.

Agreement is especially important prior to finalizing program objec-
tives and goals, budgets, and resource allocation. Some executives are re-
luctant to make a pledge, at the beginning of the fiscal year, of a certain
amount of money for corporate social initiatives that can be tied to earn-
ings. Curt Weeden offers this perspective: "CEOs need to accept the
premise that the level of social investing is largely a by-product of a com-
pany's historic profitability. In a nutshell, here's how it works. Corpora-
tions invest a percentage of an average of the pretax earnings of their
previous three years. There is an emergency brake that can be pulled if
needed — the CEO retains the power to stop social investing in its tracks
if the current year's profits are in jeopardy." 7

252 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

BEST PRACTICES FOR EVALUATING EFFORTS

The importance of evaluating efforts and calculating returns on corpo-
rate social investments is easily understood. Most recognize it is the right
thing to do in order to improve future programs as well as to fulfill com-
mitments for responsible reporting to stakeholders. We know we should
practice the same rigorous disciplines that govern our business invest-
ments. The challenge is in doing it. Of all best practices related to corpo-
rate social initiatives, evaluation strategies remains the least fully
developed. The following six best practices suggest at least a structure for
identifying data collection needs and a framework for organizing infor-
mation into meaningful categories, those that are output- oriented and
those that are outcome-oriented.

1 . Determine Purpose of Evaluation.

As with most research-related projects, we begin with the end in mind, an-
swering the question "What will the information be used for?" Options
range from wanting to improve future efforts, to needing to report back to
our partners and stakeholders, to being able to calculate a specific return on
our investment, to knowing when we have reached an optimal giving level
where further investments have a decreasing rate of return for the corpora-
tion as well as for the cause. The answer for many, we suspect, is that we
want answers for all of these. But the question should be asked, as resources
needed to gather this information have varying monetary implications.

2. Measure and Report Resource Outputs.

The focus at this point is on resources that the corporation contributes
to the initiative and the total monetary value of those resources. Basic
categories will include cash contributions as well as (ideally) the mone-
tary value of in-kind donations of products and services, staff hours, and
retail space. It is important to stress that information gathered from this
effort is not intended to measure the impact of these investments. It is to
establish a total monetary value for the investment, which will then be
used as a base to evaluate the efficiencies and actual costs associated with
outcomes produced as a result of these output levels.

Methodologies for collecting this information will include internal
record keeping (e.g., number of staff hours), financial reports (e.g., cash

Best Practices for Evaluating Efforts

253

contributions), and information provided by cause partners and public
relations and advertising firms.

In recent years, progress has been made in developing measurement
practices and standards that will assist corporations in calculating and re-
porting the totality of their giving programs. In 2002, for example, the
Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy entered into a strate-
gic partnership with the American Productivity and Quality Center, the
Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, and the Corporate
Citizenship Company, to build a framework of definitions, processes, and
systems that would more effectively measure corporate giving. Included
in this effort is the development of a tool kit that will provide users with
global standards, measurement frameworks, management tools, and col-
laborative networks. The intent is to support companies to "effectively
and completely capture and communicate their contributions to society
according to a common framework." 8

3. Measure and Report Outcomes for the Company, Based on
Initiative Objectives and Qoals.

Focus now turns to measuring outcomes associated with corporate out-
puts, with an emphasis on measurement of accomplishments relative to
corporate objectives and goals established in the early planning stages.

Outcomes associated with general business goals and objectives would
include tracking and reporting on desired accomplishments most often re-
lated to enhanced corporate image, strengthened stakeholder percep-
tions, reductions in operating costs, increases in employee satisfaction,
reduction in expenditures related to employee recruitment and turnover,
reduction in regulatory oversight, and receipt of any additional incentives
or grants for meeting environmental or community impact guidelines.

Outcomes associated with marketing goals and objectives would include
tracking and reporting on levels of awareness of the corporation's involve-
ment in the initiative; enhancements to brand identity; and increases in
customer loyalty, sales, traffic, and media exposures achieved through the
initiative. Special efforts should be made to collect information on total
levels of exposure created by corporate expenditures (e.g., total impres-
sions achieved through paid media, publicity, material distribution, spe-
cial events, and web site visits) and the monetary value associated with
this. A cause promotion initiative, for example, that included a direct
contribution of $35,000 for paid advertising may have actually received

254 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

$75,000 worth of media exposure due to qualifications by the charity for
nonprofit rates, often at a 50 percent discount.

Methodologies associated with measuring these outcomes are often
more complex and more expensive than those required for assessing out-
puts. Some of this information can come from internal records and exist-
ing tracking systems (e.g., sales data) and reports from external agencies
(e.g., broadcast stations) and community partners (e.g., a charity who re-
ports on the number of people who stopped by their booth sponsored by
the corporation at a health fair). However, a majority of these factors
will require custom consumer surveys, with sample sizes large enough to
be representative and methodologies that can be replicated in the future.
They may even require establishing a baseline measure, a measure at spe-
cific campaign milestones, and a post survey.

Once outcomes are quantified, attempts should be made to deter-
mine return on investment. As a simplistic example, a corporation that
contributed $50,000 for promotional expenditures related to a charity
walk that hypothetically generated 500,000 impressions in the market-
place would assess the cost for each impression at 10 cents, and then
compare this cost with prior similar efforts. A cause-related marketing ef-
fort that generated 1,000 more product sales than in prior comparable
years and increased awareness of the featured product by 25 percent
among target markets would be evaluated against total contributions
made to the initiative and, again, compared with prior similar efforts.

As noted earlier, this discipline is in its early stages. Managers are en-
couraged to become more rigorous in tracking, building historic data-
bases, and creating metrics to guide evaluation and decision making.

4. Measure and Report Outcomes for the Cause, Based on Initiative
Objectives and Qoals.

As with outcomes for the corporation, of interest here are accomplish-
ments relative to objectives and goals that were established earlier for
the cause and/or charity, ones specifically supported by the corporation's
involvement in the initiative. Basic measures may include one or more
of the following, most often supported by cause promotions and cause-re-
lated marketing initiatives:

• Changes in awareness of the social issue.

• Changes in levels of concern for the social issue.

Best Practices for Evaluating Efforts

255

• Number of volunteers recruited by the initiative and associated
hours.

• Amount of funds raised for the charity or issue.

In some cases, outcomes may be expressed in more tangible terms,
such as outcomes associated more often with social marketing initiatives,
corporate philanthropy, community volunteering, and socially responsi-
ble business practices. Examples that could be connected to a specific
corporate initiative include the following:

• Number of children fed in after-school programs.

• Number of homeless people sheltered.

• Rises in test scores.

• Tons of waste diverted from landfills.

• Reduction in toxic emissions.

• Number of low-flow toilets installed.

• Number of computers recycled.

• Number of families provided a home away from home while their
children were in hospitals.

• Increase in number of toddlers with life vests on a specific beach.

• Number of home owners who took recommended steps for fire
prevention.

This measurement effort should be conducted in cooperation with
cause partners. Ideally, the information is collected by others and then
reported to the corporation. Corporate managers are encouraged to ne-
gotiate for this arrangement when establishing agreements with non-
profit and public agency partners.

5. Monitor Status of Social Issues That Initiatives Are Supporting.

Managers are encouraged to put systems in place to periodically check
on the current status of the social conditions being supported by their
initiatives (e.g., number of new cases of HIV in the past year). Most
recognize that impact on social problems takes time and that many fac-
tors beyond a corporation's social initiative will contribute to alleviat-
ing problems. Given the ideal of a long-term commitment by the

256 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

corporation to a social issue, however, it follows that a best practice
would be to monitor changes and implications of these changes for fu-
ture social investments.

6. Allocate Adequate Resources for Measurement and Reporting.

In the end, the major challenge associated with evaluation of corporate
social initiatives and calculating returns on investments is an economic
one. An ideal budgeting scenario would be to assess costs for evaluation
efforts based on agreed-upon purposes and then to present this total as a
proposed budget. In reality, this draft amount will likely be adjusted
based on current financial considerations and priorities. Managers are
then encouraged to explore less costly but still valuable methodologies,
such as shared cost studies and ad hoc surveys.

Table 9.3 summarizes the strengths and concerns involved in the six
types of corporate social initiatives we have outlined.

SUMMARY OF BEST PRACTICES

Choosing Social Issues to Support

1 . Choose only a few social issues to support.

2. Choose those that are of concern in the communities where you
do business.

3. Choose issues that have synergy with mission, values, products,
and services.

4. Choose issues that have potential to support business goals: mar-
keting, supplier relations, increased productivity, cost reduc-
tions.

5. Choose issues that are of concern to key constituent groups: em-
ployees, target markets, customers, investors, and corporate
leaders.

6. Choose issues that can be supported over a long term.

Selecting Initiatives to Support Social Issues

7. Select initiatives that best meet business objectives and goals.

8. Select initiatives that meet priority needs for the cause.

Summary Comments for Best Practices

257

9. Select multiple initiatives for a single cause, adding ones missing
for current cause efforts.

10. Select initiatives representing the most potential for strong
community partners.

1 1. Select initiatives where you have a history of experience.

12. Select initiatives that will leverage current abundant resources.

Developing and Implementing Program Plans

13. Form internal, cross-functional teams to develop plans.

14. Include community partners in plan development.

15. Establish clear objectives and measurable goals (outcomes) for
the company.

16. Establish clear objectives and measurable goals (outcomes) for
the cause.

17. Develop a communications plan.

1 8. Identify and plan for additional strategic elements.

19. Get senior management buy- in.

Evaluating Efforts

20. Determine purpose of evaluation.

21. Measure and report resource outputs.

22. Measure and report outcomes for the company, based on initia-
tive objectives and goals.

23. Measure and report outcomes for the cause, based on initiative
objectives and goals.

24. Monitor status of social issues that initiatives are supporting.

25. Allocate adequate resources for measurement and reporting.

SUMMARY COMMENTS FOR BEST PRACTICES

The final and perhaps most important advice offered by a vast major-
ity of those we interviewed is to take time to develop a formal docu-
ment that establishes written corporate guidelines for social initiatives,

Table 9.3 Summary of Strengths to Maximize and Concerns to Minimize

Major Strengths to Maximize

Major Concerns to Minimize

Cause

•

Builds corporate reputation

•

Visibility for corporate efforts can easily be lost.

Promotions

•

Attracts and retains a motivated workforce

•

Coordination with cause partners can be time

•

Supports marketing objectives

consuming.

•

Builds strong community relationships

•

Staff time and involvement can be significant.

Leverages current corporate social initiatives

Promotional expenses can be significant.

Consumers may be skeptical of corporate motivations

and commitment.

Cause-Related

•

Supports marketing objectives

•

Coordination with cause partners can be time consuming.

Marketing

•

Builds strong community relationships

•

Staff time and involvement can be significant.

•

Leverages current corporate social initiatives

•

Promotional expenses can be significant.

•

Consumers may be skeptical of corporate

motivations and commitment.

Social Marketing

•

Builds corporate reputation

•

Coordination with cause partners can be time

•

Contributes to general business goals

consuming.

•

Attracts and retains a motivated workforce

•

Staff time and involvement can be significant.

•

Supports marketing objectives

•

Efforts may require external expertise.

•

Builds strong community relationships

•

Promotional expenses can be significant.

•

Leverages current corporate social initiatives

Philanthropy

• Builds corporate reputation

•

Visibility for corporate efforts can easily be lost.

• Attracts and retains a motivated workforce

•

Tracking resource expenditures and value can be

• Builds strong community relationships

difficult and expensive.

• Leverages current corporate social initiatives

Community

• Builds corporate reputation

•

Visibility for corporate efforts can easily be lost.

Volunteering

• Attracts and retains a motivated workforce

•

Staff time and involvement can be significant.

• Builds strong community relationships

•

Tracking resource expenditures and value can be

• Leverages current corporate social initiatives

difficult and expensive.

Socially Responsible

• Builds corporate reputation

•

Visibility for corporate efforts can easily be lost.

Business Practices

• Contributes to business goals

•

Efforts may require external expertise.

• Attracts and retains a motivated workforce

•

Consumers may be skeptical of corporate

• Reduces operating costs

motivations and commitment.

• Reduces regulatory oversight

• Builds strong community relationships

• Leverages current corporate social initiatives lost

260 Twenty-five Best Practices for Doing the Most Good

guidelines that will inform and ease decision making regarding many
of the twenty-five best practices presented in this chapter and will re-
flect the unique history, culture, goals, markets, and strategies for your
company.

These guidelines should be developed (and updated at least every
two to three years) by interdepartmental teams and should include sec-
tions describing most of the following decisions:

• Priority social issues to support.

• Desired business outcomes from support of social initiatives.

• Desired social and environmental outcomes from initiatives.

• Preferred types of initiatives.

• Guidelines for determining levels of contribution.

• Preferred types of giving (e.g., cash versus in-kind donations ver-
sus volunteering).

• Ideal community partners.

• Expectations regarding interdepartmental involvement in planning.

• A planning template, especially for developing internal and exter-
nal communication plans.

• Philosophies regarding corporate visibility and recognition for efforts.

• Expectations and plans for tracking, evaluation, and reporting.

• Criteria for continued support.

This document, or at least components of it, can then be shared with
potential community partners, helping to establish early on corporate
priorities and expectations.

As always, executive management approval and enthusiasm for
these guidelines will be critical to their usefulness. The ultimate sce-
nario would be that they actually own the guidelines and embody a pas-
sion for doing the most good, as exemplified by the CEO of Kenneth
Cole Productions:

What started organically as a personal effort and a contribution to
the community as well as a business strategy has become our trade-
mark. Our cause-related marketing is a process that starts with meet-

Summary Comments for Best Practices

261

ings at the beginning of every season, where we take inventory of
what concerns us today and what we believe will still be important
in a few months. ... In the absence of therapy, I rant, I rave, I even-
tually exhaust myself, and then I listen to everyone else do the same
thing. A quiet settles over the room as we ask ourselves how we can
appropriately address what is on our minds.

Kenneth Cole 9

CHAPTER

A Marketing Approach
to Winning Corporate
Funding and Support
for Social Initiatives:
Ten Recommendations

If substantial financial resources are to be raised and sustained over a
long period of time, it's essential that supportive partners, especially
large corporate partners, get as well as give. To find the intersection of
public interest and private interest that will work for your partners, be-
gin by sitting down with them to learn about their needs before telling
them about yours. What are their marketing and sales challenges?
What specific public relations messages do they hope to convey? Who
are their principal competitors and on what playing fields are they com-
peting? How do they hope this partnership will be viewed by their em-
ployee workforce? Then go back and brainstorm so that you can return
to the table with creative ideas for vehicles that will both raise money for
and increase awareness of your cause, but will also meet the business
needs of your partner. '

— Bill Shore, founder and CEO
of Share Our Strength

262

Recommendation I

263

We think Bill Shore's advice is right on, as it reflects a customer-
oriented approach to the exchange process, one that has the
best chance for securing corporate support for social initia-
tives. In fact, a synthesis of recommendations presented in this chapter is
reminiscent of steps traditionally used in developing a marketing plan: a
process that finds the best fit between an organization's mission, objec-
tives, and capabilities and the needs and wants in the marketplace. It is a
process that develops and executes product, pricing, distribution, and
promotional strategies based on the unique profile of targeted audi-
ences — a process built to win.

This final chapter is written for executives, administrators, and pro-
gram managers of NGOs and public sector agencies seeking contributions
from corporations for developing and implementing initiatives intended
to support a social cause. Most often, these organizations are seeking fi-
nancial support for promotional campaigns, program expansion, and out-
reach efforts. They may find, as we have learned, that corporations are
sometimes even more willing to contribute nonmonetary resources, those
they may consider they have in abundance (e.g., staff expertise, employee
volunteers, idle equipment, space in promotional materials, and access to
underutilized distribution channels). Although the guidelines presented
here are most applicable to organizations initiating proposals to corpora-
tions, the fundamental principles also apply to those who have been ap-
proached by a corporation to assess a potential partnership.

The following 10 recommendations are based on what we have
learned from corporate executives about benefits they are seeking from
their contributions, concerns that can hold them back, circumstances
that prompt their interest in participation, how they choose among so-
cial initiatives to support, how they evaluate potential proposals, and
what they want and expect from their partners. Our focus now turns
from the process of selection, development, and implementation of so-
cial initiatives to guidelines for approaching and securing corporate sup-
port. From this point forward, the corporate decision maker is in the
customer seat and the cause agency is a marketer. 2

RECOMMENDATION 1

Start by developing a list of social issues that your organization or
agency is currently charged with supporting and that would benefit
from additional resources. Be specific.

264 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

Most nonprofit organizations and many governmental agencies exist
to support some social cause and, at any given point in time, are focused
on programs and services that will advance their mission. Of interest
here are those projects and initiatives that would benefit from additional
funding or other resources in order to have a greater impact. Key at this
initial step is to identify one or more specific issues that can then be put
forth for consideration.

For example, at the mission level, the American Cancer Society
works to eliminate cancer as a major health problem through efforts in-
cluding research, education, advocacy, and service. 3 When considering
needs for corporate support and involvement, this step would involve
identifying specific priorities for campaigns or programs, such as one that
encourages kids to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physi-
cal activity five days a week or more, or one that urges women and men
over 50 to get tested for colon and rectal cancer.

Similarly, the Nature Conservancy, which works to preserve plants,
animals, and natural communities by protecting lands and waters, cur-
rently lists five priority conservation initiatives on its web site for focus,
ones to address climate change, fire management, freshwater conserva-
tion, invasive species, and marine conservation. 4 This specific delin-
eation will provide direction for identifying potential corporate partners.

Issues for the Boys 6k Girls Clubs of America, the Positive Place for
Kids, range from wanting to help members develop basic computer skills
to wanting to increase gang prevention and intervention efforts in the
community, to wanting to provide family fun nights and single-parent
support groups as a part of their family support initiative. As we can fore-
see, each of these social issues can eventually lead to the discovery of dif-
ferent natural partners in the corporate world — partners like Microsoft,
which donated more than $100 million in software and cash, providing a
comprehensive package of the latest Microsoft products to clubs
throughout the country. 5

Relative to a marketing model, we could think of these specific so-
cial issues as products (offerings) that the nonprofit organization or gov-
ernmental agency wants to sell in the marketplace (e.g., physical
activity, marine conservation, and computer skills), ones whose "sales
volume" would benefit from increased financial and related support.
And this is where potential corporate partners come in. In reality, these
organizations and agencies are seeking corporate partners who will help
design, package, produce, promote, and distribute products to a market-

Recommendation 2

265

place. Our first need, as recommended here, is to clarify and prioritize
potential products.

RECOMMENDATION 2

Identify a short list of corporations that these social issues might have
a connection with, something that relates to their business mission,
products and services, customer base, employee passions, communities
where they do business, and/or their corporate giving history.

We heard frequently from those interviewed for cases in this book
that one of the first and most important criteria for selecting a social is-
sue to support is that it has some connection to their business. And we
saw examples of how this worked.

Inherent in a business mission, whether formally articulated or not, is
the organization's purpose, what it is that they want to provide or accom-
plish in the larger environment. Given this, it seems logical for the Uni-
versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to have considered the New
York Times Foundation for contributions to their School of Journalism.
Likewise, it was natural for the American Red Cross, in need of cellular
phones for workers to communicate with each other during times of dis-
aster, to approach AT&T Wireless, a company that wants to connect
people to information and things they "care about most." 6

Potential connections to products are even easier. It seems an obvi-
ous fit for Yellowstone National Park to think of General Electric for
better lighting to reduce the sky glow around Old Faithful; for the Lions
Club to consider LensCrafters as a partner to collect old or unused eye-
glasses; for an Arizona water coalition to think they had a good chance
with a store like Home Depot as a corporate sponsor; and for a children's
hospital to imagine that a local life vest manufacturer would be inter-
ested in having their brand name featured on drowning prevention pro-
gram materials.

Some issues will appeal to the corporations because they appeal to
their customer base. The Arthritis Foundation may have predicted Aleve
would be interested in sponsoring their annual walk, and local humane
societies probably thought they would be welcomed to conduct adoption
fairs at PETsMART. Similarly, we know that corporations want to attract
and retain a motivated workforce and are responsive to issues that their
employees care about. Nonprofit agencies serving the homeless in the

266 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

Washington, D.C., area probably know that employees at Fannie Mae
are eager to participate in activities to help them raise funds to support
their programs.

We saw how passionate corporations can be about contributing to is-
sues in their own back yard, as Habitat for Humanity in Detroit discov-
ered with Ford, and local HIV/AIDS prevention organizations have
found with the Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola bottlers in Africa.

Finally, the strongest connection to a social issue may be through a
long corporate history of giving to a particular cause. Schools in Florida
probably knew they could count on Washington Mutual to help get the
word out about a town hall meeting on school issues, and local AIDS or-
ganizations probably know Kenneth Cole Productions will be open to
ideas for campaigns to support the use of condoms.

These connections can be found using a variety of relatively simple
research techniques, including reviewing corporate giving and citizen-
ship statements on corporate web sites, in annual reports, in publications
(e.g., Chronicle of Philanthropy, the Foundation Center, the Federal
Register, and the Council on Foundations), and in press releases available
online, and through discussions with board members and other commu-
nity leaders involved in local businesses. It would, of course, be advanta-
geous if the community agency has an existing or historical relationship
with one of these companies on the short list.

As a final component of this activity, at the same time that a short
list of ideal potential corporations is made, it is also important to identify
corporations that your agency or organization does not consider a good
match and/or activities that would not be acceptable (e.g., a state immu-
nization coalition may have established partner guidelines that exclude
certain corporate partners such as pharmaceuticals, or a public school
may decide that it will limit activities from a soft drink sponsor to pro-
motions of bottled water only).

RECOMMENDATION 3

Approach corporations and/or their communication agencies and find
out more about their interests and experiences relative to supporting
social initiatives.

In the ideal world, an initial contact would begin with a brief meeting
or telephone conversation with the CEO of each of your targeted compa-

Recommendation 3

267

nies. It is this person's perspective that is invaluable at this phase of the
process, providing more information about the company's interests, expe-
riences, and preferences relative to supporting social causes, and about
current business challenges and opportunities. Entering at this level
might be made more likely if someone on the board of your agency, or a
community leader associated with your agency or cause, is able to provide
an introduction. The initial conversation could even be conducted by
one of these VIPs, with a subsequent referral to others in the company.

However, it is more likely that initial contacts will be with depart-
ment managers or their assistants. Relevant departments include those
dealing with community affairs (e.g., Public Affairs, Corporate Social
Responsibility, or Community Relations), corporate communications,
marketing, and/or public relations. If the corporation has a foundation,
initial meetings may include their representatives as well. If possible, try
to arrange an initial meeting that includes one representative from their
community affairs area and one from marketing. It is their combined per-
spectives and responsibilities that will provide the richest input.

Introductory comments should focus on positioning the meeting as an
inquiry. You are exploring opportunities for community partnerships to
support initiatives of interest to your organization. Your purpose is to learn
more about their company's interests and needs and, if appropriate, come
back with ideas on ways you might work together to benefit the cause, as
well as meet some of their business goals. This is an interview, not a pro-
posal. Let them know what research you have done on their company that
has led you to them and how it aligns with your agency's mission.

Whether in one meeting or multiple meetings, some of the first
questions you want to explore are those related to their interests regard-
ing social issues and their experiences relative to social initiatives. Your
questions could include the following:

• What social issues currently interest their organization the most
and why? You can share what issues you are aware of that they
supported in the past and ask why those issues were selected. If
current issues differ from those that were of concern in the past,
what brought about this change?

• What causes are their employees passionate about, if any? Is this a
major consideration for them when they consider options for sup-
port and involvement?

268 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

• What causes are their target markets or customers passionate
about? Again, is this a major consideration when they evaluate
options?

• What forms of support interest them most? You could mention
the various types of initiatives and ask, in general, which are the
most and least appealing. Do they tend to like to work with com-
munity partners or prefer to handle things internally?

• What has worked well in the past? What outcomes did they value
most?

• What hasn't worked well in the past? What lessons were learned?

RECOMMENDATION 4

Listen to their business needs.

Other initial topics to explore are those related to the company's
business goals and objectives. Your interest is grounded in your perspec-
tive that social initiatives can and should support economic as well as so-
cial and environmental goals; that when corporations can demonstrate a
return on their investment in social initiatives, they are more likely to
develop long-term relationships with community partners and focus
their giving programs on what is working. You think of them as a poten-
tial customer and want to understand what needs they have that a part-
nership with you might be able to fill. Your conversation will inspire your
staff to consider options for initiatives with the best chance for winning
their support.

Question areas should touch briefly on most aspects of the busi-
ness, exploring corporate image, operations, human resources, commu-
nity relations, public relations, and marketing issues. They might be
framed as follows:

• Are there any aspects of your visibility or reputation in the commu-
nity that you are interested in enhancing? It may be something
that people don't know about you that you wish they did, or some-
thing they think about you that you wish they didn't.

• Are there any key messages about your company that you feel a
sense of urgency to communicate?

Recommendation 5

269

• What about operational issues 1 . Are there any guidelines from regu-
latory agencies that you are trying to meet that would benefit
from public support? Are there any relationship issues with suppli-
ers, franchise owners, and/or distributors that would be strength-
ened by involvement in social issues?

• Are you facing any major challenges relative to attracting and re'
taining a motivated workforce that might be supported by corporate
involvement in the community or by volunteer opportunities?

• Are there any consumer or business markets that you are pursuing
where involvement in a social cause might give you a competitive
edge, or where a relationship with a strong community partner
might be beneficial?

• In terms of brand images, are there any specific products that you
are trying to position or reposition? Are there aggressive sales goals
related to any of these products?

One example presented in this book that might help demonstrate
the value of these questions is the case regarding Subway, described in
Chapter 5. One could imagine that an interview such as the one out-
lined above, conducted by a representative from the American Heart
Association, might have revealed Subway's interest in being perceived as
a healthy fast-food option. The interview may also have shown that Sub-
way wanted to support franchise owners with increased sales, to build
pride for their products among employees, to differentiate themselves
from others in the fast-food industry, and that they wanted their line of
low-fat subs to capture a significant share of the healthy fast-food cate-
gory, ideally to launch it. One can further imagine that the American
Heart Association representative might be eager to return to the office,
confident that he or she might have just found a major sponsor for the
annual fundraising walk.

RECOMMENDATION 5

Share with them the social issues your organization supports, the ini-
tiatives you are considering or engaged in, and your strengths and re-
sources. Find out which, if any, they find most appealing.

Social issues, as we are referring to them here, are the specific problems

270 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

that your organization is interested in solving, ones that would benefit
from additional financial and related support. We have suggested that
these issues be considered products you want to sell in the marketplace. At
some point in this getting-to-know-each-other process, this list should be
shared. It should be limited to those that your research, hunches, and early
discussions suggest might be of most interest to the corporation being ap-
proached and interviewed. This is also when you share your guidelines for
acceptable activities.

The American Legacy Foundation's story of finding corporate sup-
port for one of its initiatives illustrates this process well. As background,
the American Legacy Foundation was established in 1999, funded pri-
marily by funds from the Master Settlement Agreement with the to-
bacco industry. The organization works to build a world where young
people reject tobacco and anyone can quit smoking. Efforts are concen-
trated on providing grants, technical training and assistance, youth ac-
tivism, strategic partnerships, countermarketing and grassroots
marketing campaigns, and public relations. The organization has a spe-
cial focus on helping communities disproportionately affected by the toll
of tobacco, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Ameri-
cans. One of the foundation's signature programs is "Circle of Friends:
Uniting to Be Smoke-Free," a national grassroots social movement to
highlight the importance of supporting smokers who want to quit, while
also educating people about the toll of tobacco-related disease on
women, their families, and communities.

Of interest for this illustration is one of the foundation's specific
partnerships, designed to reach young women smokers ages 16 to 24- The
foundation was seeking to help young women who want to quit smoking,
but also to educate other young women in this age group so that they
never start smoking. Match this interest with the knowledge that Avon,
the global cosmetics giant, was planning to debut a new beauty business,
called "mark," targeting the 300 million young women ages 16 to 24 in
the United States, who have an estimated spending power of $250 bil-
lion, $75 billion of which is spent in the beauty and fashion sectors. 7 Pic-
ture Avon mark executives' reaction when the American Legacy
Foundation explored a potential partnership with them. Recent com-
pelling research findings had indicated that among the 25 percent of
young women ages 16 to 24 who smoke, 65 percent wanted to quit, but
only 3 percent succeeded for a least a year. 8

The two organizations agreed to work together, through Circle of

Recommendation 6

111

Friends, to reach young women with healthy lifestyle messages around
smoking. In a press release announcing the partnership, Deborah Fine,
the president of Avon Future, commented: "Building upon Avon's more
than 100-year legacy and leadership in the area of women's health, mark
is privileged to continue this commitment with a new generation of
women who are eager to make a difference." 9 The press release an-
nounced that mark would be promoting cessation messages, encouraging
mark representatives to communicate with their peers about tobacco use,
and donating all proceeds from the sale of the Circle of Friends Sunburst
Pin to the American Legacy Foundation.

RECOMMENDATION 6

Prepare and submit a proposal to those corporations most interested in
your social issues. Present several optional initiatives for potential
support, ones that are the best match for their stated business and
marketing needs.

At this point, you are hopefully rich with input. Ideally, you know
the priority social issues the targeted company or companies are inter-
ested in and ones they consider a priority. You understand their current
business goals and challenges and have identified ones that you might be
able to support. You have a sense of what types of initiatives they prefer
most and you have an inside track on what they value in a partnership —
and what makes them leery. This should make it easy to take the next
step, crafting a proposal.

A proposal should include a clear statement of purpose, highlighting
the potential impact that proposed initiatives would have on a social is-
sue of common concern. "This initiative is intended to help reduce oral
disease among children by increasing access to dental care among low-
income populations." It should make clear how this specific initiative
would meet priority needs for the cause. "Your financial support will enable
us to reach the vast majority of underserved youth enrolled in after-
school programs at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country." You should
also indicate your interest and commitment to help develop evaluation
mechanisms to measure this impact.

Identify the strengths and resources you intend to bring to the table,
including your technical and clinical expertise regarding the issue, staff
time you intend to dedicate to the project, involvement of high-visibility

272 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

board members or elected officials, and actual funds you intend to com-
mit. Talk about your interest in a long-term partnership if at all feasible.

Outline options for their contributions, recalling their preferences
for direct monetary contributions versus in-kind services or employee
volunteering.

Highlight potential benefits for the corporation. Include mention of
how you believe this new initiative will leverage their current and past
efforts in the community. Suggest ways their employees might be in-
volved. Point out the business and marketing goals you believe this may
support, and express your interest in working with them to maximize
these opportunities. Provide options for visibility for their contributions,
remaining open to their preferences for tactical strategies such as logo
placement and use of corporate colors. Mention any additional strong
community partners that are currently involved or that you intend to ap-
proach, and what they will also be providing. Offer initial ideas about
how you might publicly recognize their contributions, ones that reflect
the corporation's business and marketing goals as well as its unique cul-
ture and style.

Using these principles, imagine how product managers at Dole might
have responded to a proposal from the National Cancer Institute's "5 A
Day for Better Health" program that outlined an opportunity to play a vi-
tal role in the national "5 A Day" initiative, which would include Dole's
presence on nutritional education program materials that would likely
reach over 30,000 schools and 100,000 elementary teachers in the United
States and would provide multiple co-branding opportunities, including
using the "5 A Day" logo stickers on a banana. "Where do I sign?"

RECOMMENDATION 7

Participate in developing an implementation plan.

Traditional components of an implementation plan will include set-
ting objectives and goals (desired outcomes) for the company and the
cause; selecting target audiences; identifying strategic activities; and de-
termining roles, responsibilities, timelines, and budgets. As we heard
from many corporate executives, involvement of cross-functional teams
in this planning process (from the corporation as well as the NGO or
public agency) is often key to a successful program and should be encour-
aged early on.

Recommendation 8

273

Initial plans should be considered a draft, as there will likely be
needs for your agency, as well as the company, to review intended strate-
gies with senior management and, in many cases, to test ideas with other
key publics including customers of the corporation, donors to your
agency, or citizens in a community. For example, a public agency inter-
ested in corporate support for a childhood immunization campaign may
learn quickly, by conducting a couple of focus groups with parents, that a
partnership that included a drugstore's name on the front of a brochure
raised considerable concern with material content, but that by adding
the phrase "Printing courtesy of before the name and putting it on the
back of the brochure, objections were assuaged. From the corporation's
point of view, a quick test with customers in a retail store might reveal
that cause promotional messages on grocery bags would not be noticed
unless the checkout clerk also mentioned the promotion.

RECOMMENDATION 8

Offer to handle as much of the administrative legwork as possible.

Several initiatives — especially cause promotions, cause-related mar-
keting, and social marketing ones — tend to involve more administrative
time and effort than others, such as providing a cash grant or participat-
ing in a one-time employee volunteer event. In cases where these initia-
tives have been identified as ideal relative to desired outcomes, it may be
important for the NGO or the public agency staff to facilitate the part-
nership by offering to take on a variety of administrative tasks, which
may range from establishing record-keeping systems to editing copy to
coordinating with printers and delivering materials.

Willingness to assume these responsibilities will do more than just
relieve the corporate partner. It may make the difference in how much
they are able to contribute to the campaign and its duration; it may also
influence whether a company is willing to commit to a multiyear cam-
paign or a one-time-only event. This then affects the possibility of ex-
ploring additional initiatives in the future.

Consider the partnership between PARADE magazine and Share Our
Strength and others sponsors, where partners needed to track and then re-
port on the numbers of people across the country that baked, bought, or
sold goods during the Great American Bake Sale, and then distribute
funds to qualifying organizations, in part according to geographic locations

274 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

where funds were raised. An offer by Share Our Strength and other part-
ners to help make this happen may be key to the publisher's high level of
program participation.

RECOMMENDATION 9

Assist in measuring and reporting outcomes.

Agency managers should express in early discussions a commitment
to program evaluation. Corporate satisfaction and long-term commit-
ment to a partnership may in fact rely significantly on this factor.

Once program goals and strategies have been established, a specific
evaluation plan can be developed to assess program processes as well as
outcomes. This should be a team effort, as it will be important to mea-
sure and report outcomes for the cause relative to established objectives
and goals, as well as for the company. This plan should include delin-
eation of roles and responsibilities as well as fund requirements.

Evaluation efforts vary significantly by type of initiative, each present-
ing its own set of metrics, requirements, and challenges. Red Cross may
have simply reported back to AT&T Wireless the number of chapters that
received their donated phones, the numbers of times the phones were used,
and the types of emergency situations that were ameliorated by this im-
proved access during times of disaster. The task for the water conservation
coalition and Home Depot in Arizona would be more daunting, with de-
sired process measures including number of participants in workshops and
reach and frequency of advertising messages; and outcome measures would
need to attempt to monitor increases in sales of featured products as well as
changes in awareness of water conservation techniques and levels of water
usage in the region. The effort would clearly need more hands on deck.

RECOMMENDATION 10

Provide recognition for the corporation's contribution, in ways pre-
ferred by the company.

Although we found varying levels of enthusiasm for corporate recog-
nition and a range of preferred forms for this recognition, one theme was
pervasive: Let the cause partner and those who benefited from the initia-
tive tell the story.

Summary of Recommendations for Seeking Corporate Support 275

Consider the power of American Legacy Foundation presenting
Deborah Fine, president of Avon Future, the Corporate Leadership
Award honoring "individuals committed to advancing the foundation's
mission to build a world where young people reject tobacco." 10 And if
you were a division manager for 7-Eleven in Texas, imagine your appreci-
ation when the Texas Department of Transportation recognizes your ef-
forts for influencing motorists to "stash their trash." What better
acknowledgment could there be for Shell's contribution than for the Na-
ture Conservancy to be the one to publicly applaud volunteer efforts to
protect coastal habitats or for a school superintendent to include a
thank-you to Washington Mutual in the district's newsletter? And imag-
ine the satisfaction for Aleve to be publicly recognized by the Arthritis
Foundation, for Pampers by the SIDS Foundation, for Wal-Mart by the
Children's Miracle Network, for Subway by the American Heart Associ-
ation, for Crest by the Surgeon General, for Dole by the National Can-
cer Institute, and for Lysol by Keep America Beautiful. Such kudos are
about as good as it gets.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
THOSE SEEKING CORPORATE SUPPORT

This chapter has presented guidelines and principles (listed together be-
low) that we believe offer NGOs and public agencies the best chances
for winning support from corporations for social initiatives.

1. Start by developing a list of social issues that your organization
or agency is currently charged with supporting and that would
benefit from additional resources. Be specific.

2. Identify a short list of corporations that these social issues might
have a connection with, something that relates to their business
mission, products and services, customer base, employee pas-
sions, communities where they do business, and/or their corpo-
rate giving history.

3. Approach corporations and/or their communication agencies
and find out more about their interests and experiences relative
to supporting social initiatives.

4. Listen to their business needs.

276 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding

5. Share with them the social issues your organization supports, the
initiatives you are considering or engaged in, and your strengths
and resources. Find out which, if any, they find most appealing.

6. Prepare and submit a proposal to those corporations most inter-
ested in your social issues. Present several optional initiatives for
potential support, ones that are the best match for their stated
business and marketing needs.

7. Participate in developing an implementation plan.

8. Offer to handle as much of the administrative legwork as possi-
ble.

9. Assist in measuring and reporting outcomes.

10. Provide recognition for the corporation's contribution, in ways
preferred by the company.

We recognize that few have the luxury, the time, the patience, or the
perfect-world scenario that might be needed to following these recom-
mended practices, particularly in a sequential order. We know that the
reality looks more like "we need to get more funds to make this campaign
work, and we need them soon, so let's apply for a grant from General
Mills or ask one of our board members if they'd renew their company's
annual commitment." We understand this is asking a lot — from the
NGO, the public agency, and the potential corporate partner.

At a minimum, keep focused on an intention to develop a program
that will do the most good for the cause as well as the company, and hold
close a conviction that the public, nonprofit, and private sectors can and
should work together to meet social and environmental goals as well as
economic ones. In fact, all of our stakeholders and benefactors are count-
ing on us to do just that.

NOTES

Chapter 1 The Case for Doing at Least Some Qood

1. Carly Fiorina, keynote address, Business for Social Responsibility
Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California, November 12, 2003,
Hewlett- Packard Company, Copyright (November 2003) Hewlett-
Packard Development Company, L.P.,http://www.hp.com/hpinfo
/execteam/speeches/fiorina/ Speeches & Articles (accessed Decem-
ber 2, 2003).

2. World Business Council for Sustainable Development, "Corporate
Social Responsibility," http://www.wbcsd.ch/templates/Template
WBCSDl/layout.asp?type=p6kMenuId=MzI3&d (accessed March
25, 2004).

3. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction," http://www.bsr.org
/BSRResources/WhitePaperDetail.cfm?DocumentID=48809 (accessed
March 25, 2004).

4- Association of Fundraising Professionals, http://afpnet.org/tier3_
print.cfm?folder_id=23456kcontent_item_id=2286 and http://www
.aafrc.org/images/giving_usa_2003_sources_pie.jpg (accessed May
27,2004).

5. Cone Inc., 2000 Cone/Roper Executive Study: Cause Initiatives from,
the Corporate Perspective, http://www.coneinc.com/Pages/research
.html (accessed October 6, 2003).

6. Cone Inc., Our Research (Boston: Cone Inc., 2000), http://
www.coneinc.com/Pages/research.html (accessed July 5, 2004).

7. Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire Service press release,
"KPMG Survey: More Top U.S. Companies Reporting on Corpo-
rate Responsibility," KPMG, LLP, June 10, 2002, http://www
.csrwire.com/print.cgi/1153.html (accessed March 25, 2004).

277

278

Notes

8. Starbucks Corporation, Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report
for Fiscal 2002 (Seattle: Starbucks Corporation, 2002), 2.

9. American Express Company, Philanthropy at American Express
Report (New York: American Express Company, 2004), http://
home3 . americanexpress.com/ corp/ philanthropy/ fdnbro. asp ( accessed
March 25, 2004).

10. Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire Service press release,
"Michael Dell Discusses Digital Inclusion at La Raza Conference:
Executive Emphasizes Company's Commitment to Hispanic Con-
sumers," Dell Computer Corporation, http://www.csrwire.com
/print.cgi?sfArticleId=1978 (accessed March 25, 2004).

11. Franklin D. Raines, speech, Greenlining Institute Economic Devel-
opment Summit, Los Angeles, California, April 10, 2003, Fannie
Mae, http://www.fanniemae.com/media/speeches (accessed March
25, 2004).

12. Telephone interview with Andy Acho, worldwide director, Envi-
ronmental Outreach & Strategy, Ford Motor Company, April 13,
2004.

13. Carlos M. Gutierrez, "Corporate Citizenship," Kellogg Company,
http://www.kelloggs.com/kelloggco/corporate_citizenship/index.htm
1 (accessed March 25, 2004).

14- Carly Fiorina, speech, Business for Social Responsibility Annual
Conference, Los Angeles, California, November 12, 2003, Hewlett-
Packard Company, Copyright (November, 2003) Hewlett-Packard
Development, L.P http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/speeches
/fiorina/bsr2003.html (accessed March 25, 2004).

15. CSRwire, Oak Brook, IL, "McDonald's Social Responsibility Re-
port: One- Year Global Update 05/02/2003, http://www.csrwire
xom/article.cgi/1799.html (accessed July 2004).

16. Nike Inc., Nike 2001 Corporate Responsibility Report: Vision,
(Beaverton: Nike Inc., 2001), 4, http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz
.jhtml?page=29&item=fy01 (accessed March 25, 2004).

17. Craig Smith, "The New Corporate Philanthropy," Harvard Business
Review, May-June 1994, 105-107.

18. Ibid., 108.

19. Ibid.

20. David Hess, Nikolai Rogovsky, and Thomas W. Dunfee, "The
Next Wave of Corporate Community Involvement: Corporate

Notes

279

Social Initiatives," California Management Review 44, no. 2, Win-
ter 2002, 114.

21. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction."

22. Cone Inc., "The Cone/Roper Study — A Benchmark Survey of Con-
sumer Awareness and Attitudes Towards Cause Related Marketing,
Cone Communications, 1993/94," http://www.msen.mb.ca/crm.html
(accessed March 25, 2004).

23. Cone Inc., "Post-September 11th: Major Shift in American
Attitudes Towards Companies Involved With Social Issues,"
http://www.coneinc.com/Pages/pr_8.html (accessed March 25,
2004).

24- Cone Inc. ,"2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship: The Role of Cause
Branding: Executive Summary," 4, http://www.coneinc.com/Pages
/pr_13.html (accessed April 2, 2004).

25. Paul Bloom, Steve Hoeffler, Kevin Keller, and Carlos Basurto, "Con-
sumer Responses to Social and Commercial Sponsorship," working
paper, 2003.

26. Minette E. Drumwright, "Socially Responsible Organizational Buy-
ing: Environmental Concern as a Noneconomic Buying Criterion,"
Journal of 'Marketing 58 (July 1994): 1—19.

27. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction."

28. Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson, Brand Spirit: How Cause
Related Marketing Builds Brands (London: Wiley, 2001), 5-9.

29. Ibid., xxi.

30. Ibid., xxii.

31. Bloom, Hoeffler, Keller, and Basurto, "Consumer Responses."

32. Council for Economic Priorities, Shopping for a Better World: The
Quick and Easy Guide to All Your Socially Responsible Shopping (New
York: Council for Economic Priorities, 1994).

33. Fortune.com, "2004 America's Most Admired Companies,"
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/mostadmired/subs/2004/keyattributes
/0,19405,social_resp,00.html (accessed July 5, 2004).

34. William Baue, "April 29, 2002: Business Ethics' 100 Best Corpo-
rate Citizens Outperform S&P 500," SRI World Group, Inc.,
http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/832.html (accessed March
25, 2004).

35. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction."

36. Ibid.

280

Notes

37. Hess, Rogovsky, and Dunfee, "Next Wave," 113-114.

38. Smith, "New Corporate Philanthropy," 109-110.

39. Cone Inc., 2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study: New National
Survey Finds Americans Intend to Punish Corporate "Bad Guys," Re-
ward Good Ones (Boston: Cone Inc., 2002). http://www.conenet
xom/Pages/pr_13.html (accessed April 2, 2004).

40. Ibid.

41. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction."

42. The Timber land Company, Timberland Corporate Social Responsibility
Report for the Year 2000 (Boston: The Timberland Company, 2000).

43. Cisco Systems, Inc., Case Study: Energy Efficiency in Design
and Construction — Cleaner Air and Millions in Savings (San Jose:
Cisco Systems, Inc., 2003), http://www.cisco.com/en/US/about
/ac227/ac228/ac229/about_cisco_corp_citi_case_study.html (accessed
April 2, 2004).

44- World Business Council for Sustainable Development web site,
"Banking on a Good Reputation," as reported in the Financial
Times, July 21, 2003, by Jane Fuller, http://www.wbcsd.ch/lugins
/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&DocID=MTgzNQ (accessed
July 21, 2003).

45. Ibid.

46. Praveen Sinha, Chekitan S. Dev, and Tania Salas, "The Relation-
ship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and Profitability of
Hospitality Firms: Do Firms That Do Good Also Do Well?" work-
ing paper, January 15, 2002, 4, Cornell School of Hospitality Man-
agement, http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/chr/research/working/
(accessed April 2, 2004).

47. Business for Social Responsibility, "Introduction."

48. NewCircle Communications, "Corporate Social Responsibility —
A New Ethic for a New Economy," CSRWire, SRI World Group,
Inc., http://www.csrwire.com/page.cgi/ncl.html (accessed April 2,
2004).

49. William Baue, "Business Ethics' 100 Best."

50. Susan Orenstein, "The Selling of Breast Cancer," Business
2.0, February 2003, http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/print
/0,1643,046296,00.html (accessed October 6, 2003).

51. American Heart Association Inc,. "Tobacco Industry's Target-
ing of Youth, Minorities, and Women," American Heart Associa-
tion Inc., http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml=identifier

Notes

281

= 1 1226 (accessed March 25, 2004), and Philip Morris USA— Policies,
Practices & Positions, "Youth Smoking Prevention," http://www
.pmusa.com/policies_practices/ysp/communications.asp (accessed July
2004).

52. Sinha, Dev, and Salas, "Corporate Social Responsibility and Prof-
itability."

53. McDonald's Corporation, Social Responsibility Report 2002, 11.

54- John Gourville and Kash Rangan, "Doing Well by Doing Good: Un-
derstanding and Valuing the Cause Maketing Relationship." Har-
vard Business School, working paper August 29, 2003.

55. Bloom, Hoeffler, Keller, and Basurto, "Consumer Responses."

Chapter 2 Corporate Social Initiatives

1. Washington Mutual, Inc., 2001 Community Annual Report (Seat-
tle: Washington Mutual, Inc., 2001), http://publicsite.wamu.com
/about/community/commitment/annualreport/summary.htm (accessed
July 29, 2003).

2. Washington Mutual, Inc., 2002 Community Annual Report (Seat-
tle: Washington Mutual, Inc., 2002), http://publicsite.wamu.com
/about/community/commitment/annualreport/summary.htm (accessed
March 25, 2004).

3. Washington Mutual, Inc. Giving Guidelines (Seattle: Washington
Mutual, Inc., 2004), http://publicsite.wamu.com/about/community
/support/givingguidelines/givingguidelines.htm (accessed March 25,
2004).

4- Washington Mutual, Inc., 2003 Community Annual Report, 12.

5. Washington Mutual, Inc., "WaMu & Education: Class Acts" http://
publicsite.wamu.com/about/community/programs/wamueducation
/wamueducation.htm (accessed March 25, 2004).

6. Ibid., 21.

7. Ibid., 17.

8. Washington Mutual, Inc., 2002 Community Annual Report, 2.

9. Dell Computer Corporation, "Michael Dell Discusses Digital Inclu-
sion at The National Council of La Raza, Austin, Texas," Corporate
Social Responsibility Newswire Service, July 16, 2003, http://www
.csrwire.com/print.cgi?sfArticleId=1978 (accessed March 25, 2004).

10. Michael Dell, "Letter from the Chairman: Dell Corporate Vi-
sion," Dell Computer Corporation, http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen

282

Notes

/corporate/vision_print_ceo_environ.htm (accessed August 18,

2003) .

11. Dell Computer Corporation, Dell Environmental Report: Fiscal Year
2003 in Review, (Austin: Dell Computer Corporation, 2003), 7, http:
//wwwl.us.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/environment/en
/index ?c=us&l=en&s=corp (accessed March 25, 2004).

12. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Resource Conserva-
tion Challenge," www.plugintorecycling.org (accessed March 25,

2004) .

13. Dell Computer Corporation, Dell Environmental Report: Fiscal Year
2003 in Review, 27.

14. Dell Computer Corporation, Dell press release, December 19, 2001,
Austin, Texas, http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen/corporate/press/press
office_print_news_2001-12-19-aus-00 (accessed 8/21/2003).

15. Dell Computer Corporation, "Dell and the Environment," http:
//wwwl. us. dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/environment/en
/index?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs (accessed March 25, 2004).

16. Dell Computer Corporation, Dell Environmental Report: Fiscal Year
2003 in Review, 745.

17. Ibid.

18. McDonald's Corporation, "Awards and Recognition," http://
www.mcdonalds.com/corp/invest/pub/annual_rpt_archives/2001_
annual.html (accessed March 25, 2004).

19. McDonald's Corporation, Social Responsibility Report 2002 (Long
Island: McDonald's Corporation, 2002), 4, http://www.mcdonalds
xom/corp/values/socialrespons/sr_report.html (accessed March 25,
2004).

20. McDonald's Corporation, Social Responsibility Report 2002, 2.

21. Ibid., 4.

22. Ibid., 16.

23. McDonald's Corporation, "Children's Day," http://www.mcdonalds
xom/corporate/whatsnew/childrensday/children.html 8/18/2003 or
http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/values/wcd.html (accessed March
25, 2004).

24. Ibid.

25. McDonald's Corporation, "Celebrity Support," http://www.mc
donalds.com/countries/usa/whatsnew/pressrelease/2003/08052003
/index.html or http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/values/wcd/celebrity
.html (accessed August 18, 2003).

Notes

283

26. McDonald's Corporation, Social Responsibility Report 2002, 14.

27. Ibid.

28. Ibid., 21.

29. Ibid., 20.

Chapter 3 Corporate Cause Promotions

1. Ben 6k Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., "One Sweet Whirled:
One Sweet Campaign to Fight Global Warming," http://www
.onesweetwhirled.org (accessed April 2, 2004).

2. Ben 6k Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., "Our Mission Statement,"
http://www.benjerry.com/our_company/our_mission (accessed March
27,2004).

3. Ben 6k Jerry's Homemade Holdings, Inc., "One Sweet Whirled."

4. PETsMART, the bouncing ball, PETsMART Charities, and Just A
Buck, Change Their Luck are trademarks of PETsMART Store Sup-
port Group, Inc., and may be federally registered or pending registra-
tion in the United States and other jurisdictions.

5. PETsMART Inc., "Happiness Is Saving a Pet's Life," http://
www.petsmart.com/adoptions/index.shtml (accessed March 27, 2004).

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Arthritis Foundation, Arthritis Walk home page, http://www
.arthritis.org/events/arthritiswalk/default.asp.

9. British Airways, Pic, "Change for Good," http://www.british
airways.com/travel/crcfgood/public/en_gb (accessed March 27,
2004), and http://www.britishairways.com/responsibility.

10. U.S. Fund for UNICEF, "Change for Good," http://www.unicefusa
.org/support/cfg.html (accessed October 9, 2003).

11. UNICEF, "Change for Good," http://www.unicef.org/noteworthy
/changeforgood (accessed April 7, 2004).

12. Ibid.

13. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., "Wal-Mart: Good. Works.," http://www.walmart
foundation.org (accessed October 9, 2003).

14. Ibid.

15. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., "Children's Miracle Network," http://www
.cmn.org/web/sponsors/sponsorpages/wmart.htm (accessed March
30,2004).

284

Notes

16. PARADE Publications, "Great American Bake Sale Media Cen-
ter," http://www.greatamericanbakesale.org (accessed October 9,

2003) .

17. PARADE Publications, "Facts on Parade," http://www.parade
xom/mediarelations/press_releases/facts.html (accessed October
9, 2003).

18. David Oliver Relin, "Thanks a Million," PARADE, October 5,
2003, 18-20.

19. Nordstrom Inc., "Diversity Affairs," http://about.nordstrom.com
/aboutus/diversity/diversity.asp (accessed October 9, 2003).

20. Ibid.

21. The Body Shop International, Pic, "The Body Shop: Our Values,"
http://www.thebodyshop.com/web/tbsgl/values_aat_issue.jsp (accessed
on March 30, 2004)

22. The Body Shop International, Pic, "The Body Shop: Our Values,"
http://www.thebodyshop.com/web/tbsgl (accessed on March 30,

2004) .

23. Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems, "Healing the Crisis in
Nursing: A Progress Report," http://www.jnj.com/news/jnj_news
/20030506_100339.htm (accessed October 9, 2003).

25. Luxottica S.p.A., "LensCrafters: Give the Gift of Sight," www
.givethegiftofsight.org (accessed April 2, 2004).

26. Michael Siegel and Lynne Doner, Marketing Public Health: Strate-
gies to Promote Social Change (Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen, 1998),
321.

Chapter 4 Cause-Related Marketing

1 . American Express Company, "2000 Report: Philanthropy at Ameri-
can Express," http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/philanthropy
/default.asp (accessed March 30, 2004).

2. Business for Social Responsibility, "Cause Related Marketing: In-
troduction," http://www.bsr.org/BSRResources/WhitePaperDetail
xfm/?DocumentID=215 (accessed March 30, 2004).

3. Windermere Real Estate Services Inc., "The Windermere Foundation:

Notes

285

Helping Homeless and Low-Income Families," www.windermere.com
(accessed March 30, 2004).
4- Newman's Own, "Shameless Exploitation in Pursuit of the Com-
mon Good," Newman's Own, http://www.newmansown.com/125
million.htm (accessed March 30, 2004).

5. Libby Wells, "Emotional Appeal of Charging for Charity Rings
Up the Donations for Favorite Causes," Bankrate Inc., http://www
.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20000320.asp (accessed March 30, 2004).

6. L. Nicholas Deane, "Credit Cards and Donor Affinity," The Non-
profitTimes, April 15 (2003). http://www.nptimes.com/fme/apr03
/fme_2.html (accessed March 30, 2004).

7. Ibid.

8. Working Assets, "Working Assets Mission, Donations, and Ac-
tivism," http://www.workingassets.com/aboutwa.cfm (accessed No-
vember 11, 2003).

9. First USA, "World Wildlife Fund Platinum Card: Help the Wild
Things Stay Wild," http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/web
serve. cgi?partner_dir_name=world_wildlife_fund&page=cont&
mkid=6T9N (accessed March 30, 2004).

10. American Lung Association, "When You Can't Breath Nothing
Else Matters," http://www.thealacard.com/ (accessed April 14,
2004).

11. Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson, Brand Spirit: How Cause
Related Marketing Builds Brands, (London: John Wiley and Sons Ltd,
2001), 32.

12. Avon Foundation, "Avon Foundation Welcome: Help Make Us Ob-
solete — Support the Cause," http://www.avoncompany.com/women
/avoncrusade/index.html (accessed March 30, 2004).

13. Ibid.

14. MMWR2003. Cigarette Smoking Among Adults — United States.
52(40): 953-956. CDC Annual Smoking Attributable Mortality,
Years of Potential Life Lost and Economic Costs — United States,
1995-1996.

15. QVC Inc., "Corporate Facts," http://www.qvc.com/mainhqfact.html
(accessed November 11,2003).

16. From print and appearing in People magazine 8/25/03, p. 39.

17. American Legacy Foundation, "Press Room."

18. Keep America Beautiful Inc., "Who We Are," http://www.kab
.org/whol.cfm (accessed April 2, 2004).

286

Notes

19. Information provided by Alex Whitehouse, vice president of mar-
keting, LYSOL Brand.

20. Target Corporation, press release, "Guests Help Target Award $13 Mil-
lion to Schools Nationwide," September 29, 2003, http://biz.yahoo
.com/prnews/030929/cgm048_l.html (accessed April 14, 2004).

21. Comcast Corporation, 'About Comcast Corporation," http://com-
cast.com/About_Comcast/default.html?LinkID=80 (accessed No-
vember 3, 2003).

22. Louis Chunovic, "Liz Castells-Heard," Television Week, May 3,
(2003), http://www.adcastells.com/castells-news/pdf/4--Television-
Week-990F0.pdf (accessed April 2, 2004) and information from Liz
Castells-Heard.

23. 2004 Twin Cities International Corporate Citizen Awards, April 20,
2004, presented by the International Leadership Institute in con-
junction with the Twin Cities Business Monthly.

24- Newman's Own, "Shameless Exploitation."

Chapter 5 Corporate Social Marketing

1. Procter & Gamble Company, "Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 Pro-
gram Fights the Nation's 'Silent Epidemic' In Oral Health,"
http://www.cresthealthysmiles.com/press_release/pr_2010_program
.htm (accessed April 7, 2004).

2. Philip Kotler and G. Zaltman, "Social Marketing: An Approach to
Planned Change," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35: 3-12 (1971).

3. Philip Kotler, Ned Roberto, and Nancy Lee, Social Marketing: Im-
proving the Quality of Life (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications,
2002).

4- Philip Kotler and G. Armstrong, Principles of Marketing (Upper Sad-
dle River: Prentice-Hall, 2001), 269.

5. Kotler, Roberto, and Lee, Social Marketing.

6. BSR "Introduction," http://www.bsr.org/BSRResources/WhitePaper
Detail.cfm?DocumentID =48809 (accessed March 25, 2004).

7. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
"Health Information & Media — SIDS: 'Back to Sleep' Campaign,"
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/pampers.htm (accessed April 7, 2004).

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

Notes

287

10. Tools of Change, "Back to Sleep — Health Canada SIDS Social
Marketing Campaign," http://www.toolsofchange.com/English/Case
studies/default.asp?ID=161 (accessed April 7, 2004).

11. RadioShack Corporation, "StreetSentz: Common Sentz Tips
For Safer Kidz," RadioShack Corporation, http://www.radioshack
corporation.com/cr/community_relations.shtml (accessed August
14, 2003).

12. Best Buy Company, Inc., "Best Buy Electronics Recycling Program,"
http://www.e4partners.com/best_buy_consumer_electronics_recycling
.htm (accessed April 7, 2004).

13. Best Buy Company, Inc., "Best Buy Announces Electronics Recy-
cling Program," http://www.crra.com/ewaste/articles/bestbuys.html
(accessed April 7, 2004).

14. Ibid.

15. Kotler, Roberto, and Lee, Social Marketing, 56.

16. Premera Blue Cross, "New Premera Blue Cross/UW Analysis
May Help Doctors Reduce Health Threats From Drug-Resistant
Bacteria," https://www.premera.com/stellent/groups/public/documents
/xcpproject/newsroom_press_releases.asp#TopOfPage (accessed April
7, 2004).

17. National Cancer Institute, "Dole Vice President Accepts Position
as Director of NCI 5 A Day Program," http://www.5aday.gov
/whats_newl01901.shtml (accessed April 7, 2004).

18. Dole Food Company, Inc., "Dole 5 A Day Program Overview,"
http://www.dole5aday.com/Media/Press/M_ProgramOverview.jsp?
topmenu=5 (accessed April 7, 2004).

19. Ibid.

20. Dole Food Company, Inc., "Dole 5 A Day," http://www.dole5
aday.com (accessed October 8, 2003).

21. Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc, '"Don't Mess with Texas' Litter
Prevention Campaign," http://www.enviromedia.com/study4.php
(accessed August 25, 2003).

22. 7-Eleven Inc., "7-Eleven Tells Customers: 'Dine on the Dash but
Stash Your Trash",) http://www.7-eleven.com/newsroom/articles.asp
?p=2052 (accessed August 25, 2003).

23. Ibid.

24. Safeco Corporation, "About Us," http://www.safeco.com/safeco
/about/ (accessed April 7, 2004).

288

Notes

25. The Home Depot Inc., "Social Responsibility Report," http://www
.homedepot.com/HDUS/EN_US/corporate/corp_respon/social_
respon.shtml (accessed April 7, 2004).

26. Ibid.

27. "Water— Use It Wisely" and the "100 Ways in 30 Days to Save
Water" promotion are registered trademarks of Park and Company
Marketing Communications, Inc.

28. Kotler, Roberto, and Lee, Social Marketing.

Chapter 6 Corporate Philanthropy

1. Ronald Paul Hill, Debra Stephens, and Iain Smith, "Corporate So-
cial Responsibility: An Examination of Individual Firm Behavior,"
Business and Society Review, 108:3 (2003), 339-364.

2. Business for Social Responsibility, "Issue Brief: Philanthropy,"
http://www.bsr.org/BSRResources/IssueBriefsList.cfm ?area= all
(accessed April 14, 2004).

3. Ibid.

4- Ari Weinberg, "America's Most Generous Corporations," Forbes Inc.,
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest/forbes/P64835.asp?
Printer (accessed April 14, 2004).

5. Michael Porter and Mark Kramer, "The Competitive Advantage
of Corporate Philanthropy," Harvard Business Review, Decem-
ber 2002, http://www.isc.hbs.edu/HBR_Dec2002_Corporate_
Philanthropy.htm http://www.corphilanthropy.org/ (accessed April
14,2004).

6. ConAgra Foods, Inc., news release, "New Program Will Fight
Hunger Among Pocatello Children," Pocatello, Idaho, October 14,
2003, http://www.conagra.com/media/news.jsp ?ID=2003 1016 (ac-
cessed April 14, 2004) and ConAgra Foods 2003 Annual Report
(Omaha: ConAgra Foods, Inc., 2003), http://www.conagra.com
/investors/index.jsp (accessed April 14, 2004).

7. ConAgra Foods, "New Program."

8. ConAgra Foods, Inc., news release, "Amarillo's First Kids Cafe Site
to Hold Grand Opening at the North Branch YMCA," Amarillo,
Texas, August 15, 2003, http://www.conagra.com/media/news.jsp
?ID=20030815 (accessed April 14, 2004).

Notes

289

9. ConAgra Foods, Inc., "Feeding Children Better," http://www
.conagrafoods.com/leadership/community_children.jsp (accessed April
14, 2004).

10. Ibid.

11. ConAgra Foods 2003 Annual Report, 26.

12. Author interview with manager, Global Communications &
PR, GE Consumer & Industrial Products, via e-mail, September
2003.

13. The New York Times Company Foundation, "The New York
Times Company Foundation 2002 Annual Report," http://www.
nytco.com/pdf-reports/2001_Annual_Report_Shareholder_Info.pdf
(accessed April 14, 2004).

14- The New York Times Company Foundation, news release 475, "The
New York Times Co. Foundation to Give $100,000 to School of Jour-
nalism and Mass Communication," July 11, 1997, http://www.unc
.edu/news/newsserv/archives/jul97/nytimes.html (accessed April 14,
2004).

15. Emory University, "Emory University Kenneth Cole Fellowship
in Community Building and Social Change," http://oucp.emory
.edu/Info/KCole.html (accessed November 11, 2003).

16. Robin Givhan, "Polishing an Image: Kenneth Cole Brings Social
Activism to Fashion Industry," Washington Post, August, 2003, M2.

17. Ibid.

18. Bill Shore, The Cathedral Within: Transforming Your Life by Giving
Something Back, (New York: Random House, 1999), 91.

19. Author interview with Chris Shea, president of the General Mills
Foundation and SVP General Mills.

20. General Motors, "Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
Report for 2001-2002," http://www.gm.com/company/gmability
/sustainability/reports/02/500_product/560_responsible/562_safe
_driving.html (accessed April 14, 2004).

21. General Motors, "Key Partners: Community Involvement Partners,"
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/community/partners/index
.html (accessed April 14, 2004).

22. Microsoft Corporation, "Microsoft's New Unlimited Potential Ini-
tiative Seeks to Bridge Global Technology Skills Gap," Microsoft
Corporation, http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2003/sep03
/09-04UPGrantsPR.asp (accessed April 14, 2004).

290

Notes

23. Costco Wholesale, "Opportunities," http://company.monster.com
/costcol2/ (accessed April 14, 2004).

24- Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, The New Cen-
tury Philanthropy, volume III, no. 4 (Spring 2003), http://www
xorphilanthropy.org/ (accessed April 14, 2004).

Chapter 7 Corporate Community Volunteering

1. The Timberland Company, press release, "The Timberland Com-
pany Launches Community Builders Tour to Support and Celebrate
Communities," September 2, 2003, http://www.timberland.com
/ eg ib in/timber land/ timberland/ corporate/ tim_press_release . j sp ?I D = P
R000055 (accessed April 14, 2004).

2. Bill Shore, Revolution of the Heart (New York: Riverhead Books,
1995), 64.

3. Ibid., 8.
4- Ibid., xix.

5. Ford Motor Company, "Community Relations Committees," http://
www2.ford.com/en/goodWorks/fundingAndGrants/fordMotor
CompanyFund/2001Report/communityRelationsCommitees
.htm (accessed December 10, 2003).

6. Ford Motor Company, "Ford Motor Company Continues to Invest
in Rebuilding Detroit Communities," http://www.autointell.com
/news-2000-2/August-29-00- P 3.htm (accessed April 14, 2004).

7. Ibid.

8. Ford Motor Company, news release, "Ford Volunteers Collected 2
tons of Greeting Cards for St. Judes," Dearborn, Michigan, February
11,2003.

9. Carly Fiorina, "Keynote Address: Business for Social Responsibility
Annual Conference," November 12, 2003, Los Angeles, Copyright
(November, 2003) Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/speeches/fiorina/Speeches & Ar-
ticles (accessed December 2, 2003)

10. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P, "HP Philanthropy,"
http://www.hp.com/cgi-bin/pf-new.cgi7IN =http://grants.hp. com
/index. html (accessed April 14, 2004).

11. Carly Fiorina, "Keynote Address."

Notes

291

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14- Cone Inc., News Release November 11, 2001 "Post-September 11th:
Major Shift in American Attitudes Towards Companies Involved
with Social Issues."

15. Cone Inc., "2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship: The Role of Cause
Branding: Executive Summary," http://www.coneinc.com/Pages
/pr_13.html (accessed April 2, 2004).

16. FedEx Corp., "Our People: Community," http://www.fedex.com
/us/about/overview/people/community/index.html?link=4 (accessed
April 14, 2004).

17. FedEx Corp., "About FedEx: FedEx Community," http://www
.fedex.com/us/about/responsibility/community/ (accessed April 14,
2004).

18. Fannie Mae Foundation, "We Are Volunteer Employees (WAVE),"
http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/about/wave.shtml (accessed
April 14, 2004).

19. Ibid.

20. Fannie Mae Foundation, "We Walk Together. A Report on the First
15 Years of Fannie Mae Foundation's Help the Homeless Program,"
http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/publications/pdf/Catalog
OfPublications.pdf

21. Ibid.

22. Fannie Mae Foundation, "We Are Volunteer Employees (WAVE)."

23. Australian Government Department of the Environment and Her-
itage, "Environment Australia: Envirobusiness Update," Environ-
ment Australia 2001, Issue 6 (April 2001), http://www.deh.gov.au
/industry/publications/ebu/ebu6/yourenv.html (accessed April 22,
2004).

24- Shell Oil Company, "Shell Coastal Volunteers," http://www.conser
vationvolunteers.com.au/shell/ (accessed April 23, 2004).

25. Peter Duncan, "Can Australia Play a Leading Role in the Corporate
Responsibility Debate?" BHERT News, Issue 9 (November 2000), 2.

26. AT&T Wireless, "About Us: Overview, Our Vision," http://www
.attws.com/our_company/ (accessed April 15, 2004).

27. American Red Cross, "Press Room: AT&T Wireless and American
Red Cross Team Up to Make Communities Safer," http://www
.redcross.org/press/disaster/ds_pr/020826awe.html (accessed April
15,2004).

292

Notes

28. Celina Adams, manager of corporate contributions, Timberland's
Social Enterprise Department, e-mail survey message to author,
November 2003.

29. Stanley Litow, vice president of corporate community relations and
president of IBM International Foundation, e-mail survey message
to author, June 2004.

30. Stuart Burden, director of community affairs — the America's, Levi
Strauss & Co., e-mail survey message to author, July 2003.

Chapter 8 Socially Responsible Business Practices

1. Motorola Inc., "Motorola and the Environment: Motorola's Envi-
ronmental Vision," http://www.motorola.com/EHS/environment/
(accessed April 15, 2004).

2. Business for Social Responsibility Education Fund, Corporate Social
Responsibility: A Guide to Better Business Practices, (San Fran-
cisco: Business for Socially Responsible Education Fund, 2000), 179.

3. Ibid., 112.

4- Cisco Systems, Inc., "Energy Conservation — Case Study: Energy
Efficiency in Design and Construction," http://www.cisco.com
/ en/US/ about/ac2 2 7/ac2 2 8/ac2 2 9/ about_cisco_corp_citi_case_study.
html (accessed April 16, 2004).

5. Avert, "Avert.org: HIV and AIDS Statistics for Sub-Saharan
Africa," http://www.avert.org/subaadults.htm (accessed April 16,
2004).

6. The Coca-Cola Company, "HIV/AIDS program," http://www2
xoca-cola.com/citizenship/africa_employee_program.html (accessed
April 16, 2004).

7. Ibid.

8. Business for Social Responsibility Education Fund, Corporate Social
Responsibility, 4.

9. Motorola Inc., "Motorola: Leadership Programs to Protect the Envi-
ronment," http://www.motorola.com/EHS/environment/leadership/
(accessed April 16, 2004).

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

Notes

293

13. Intel Corporation, "Intel: Environmental, Health, and Safety 2002
Report," http://www.intel.com/ intel/other/ ehs/prevention/prevent.htm
(accessed April 16, 2004).

14. Ibid.

15. Ibid.

16. White Wave, Inc., "Press Releases 2003: White Wave Invests in
Wind to Fuel Soy Manufacturing," http://www.silkissoy.com
/index.php?id=108&pid=27 (accessed April 16, 2004).

17. Sue Mecklenburg, vice president of corporate business practices, in-
terview with author, October 2003.

18. GreenMoney Journal, "Starbucks and Conservation International
Partnership Recognized in Top Global Sustainable Development
Partnership Category at World Summit in Johannesburg,"
http://www.greenmoneyjournal.com/article.mpl?newsletterid=22&
articleid=219

19. Penny Bonda and Katie Sosnowchik, green@work magazine, July/
August 2003.

20. Sara Silver, "Inside Track," Financial Times (London), December 2,
2002, Monday London Edition 1, 14.

Chapter 9 Twenty-jive Best Practices for Doing the Most Qood for
the Company and the Cause

1. Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer, "The Competitive Advan-
tage of Corporate Philanthropy," Harvard Business Review, Decem-
ber 2002, 5.

2. Ibid.

3. Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee, "Best of Breed: When It Comes to
Gaining a Market Edge While Supporting a Social Cause, 'Corpo-
rate Social Marketing' Leads the Pack," Stanford Social Innovation
Review, 1, no. 4 (2004): 18.

4- Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong, Principles of Marketing, 9th Edi-
tion (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001), 514-515.

5. Ben & Jerry's News Release, August 1, 2002 (Newstream), Ben &
Jerry's and Native Energy Partner to Fight Global Warming: Ice
Cream Maker to Help Cool Planet with Wind http://www.ben
jerry.com/our_company/press_center/press/native_energy08012002
.html (accessed July 15, 2004)

294

Notes

6. Fannie Mae Foundation, We Walk Together: A Report on the First
15 Years of Fannie Mae Foundation's Help The Homeless Program,
2003, Foreword.

7. Curt Weeden, Corporate Social Investing (San Francisco: Berrett-
Koehler Publishers, Inc., 1998), 68.

8. Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, "The Cor-
porate Giving Standard: A Measurement Model for Corporate
Philanthropy" http://www.givingstandard.com/ (accessed April
21,2004).

9. Kenneth Cole, Footnotes (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003),
162-163.

Chapter 10 A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate
Funding and Support for Social Initiatives:
Ten Recommendations

1. Bill Shore, Revolution of the Heart, (New York: Riverhead Books,
1995), 118.

2. Samantha Coker, "Corporate/NGO Alliances: Engaging Corpora-
tions in Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives" Seattle Univer-
sity, Summary Project, 2003.

3. American Cancer Society, "ACS Mission Statement," http://www
.cancer.org/docroot/AA/content/AA_l_l_ACS_Mission_Statements
.asp (accessed April 21, 2004).

4- The Nature Conservancy, "How We Work: Initiatives," http:
//nature. org/initiatives/ (accessed April 21, 2004).

5. Boys & Girls Club of America, "Programs: Specialized Initiatives,"
http://www.bgca.org/programs/specialized.asp (accessed April 21,
2004).

6. AT&T Wireless, "Media Relations: About Us," http://www.att.ws
xom/our_company/ (accessed April 21, 2004).

7. Avon Products, Inc., "Mark: Makeup You Can Buy And Sell,"
http://pr.meetmark.com/PRSuite/about/pressroom.jsp?ArtID =
PRESSRELEASE2&page= 1 (accessed April 21, 2004).

8. American Legacy Foundation, "Press Release July 16, 2003: New
Research on Young Women and Smoking: Two-thirds Want to Quit,
but Only Three Percent Succeed." (Preliminary data as of January

Notes

295

2003.) http : / / www. americanlegacy.org/ AmericanLegacy/ skins/alf/
display.aspx?moduleid = 8cde2e88-3052-448c-893d-dOb4b
1 4b3 1 c4&mode =User&action=display_page&Obj ectID= 8f35 6b23 -
6e2-4cde-925d-63656772acb5 (accessed April 21, 2004).
9. Ibid.

10. Town Topics® Princeton's Weekly Community Newspaper since 1946,
December 3, 2003, http://www.towntopics.com/dec0303/people.html
(accessed July 16, 2004).

INDEX

Affinity card programs, 87-89

Africa, 213-214, 215

Against Animal Testing campaign, 68-71

Albertson's, 147

Alcoa, 15

Aleve, 23, 58-59

Allen, Robert, 15-16

Allocating resources for evaluation, 256

Altria Group, 15, 147

American Cancer Society, 264

American Express:

corporate philanthropy of, 147, 150

norms, establishment of, 6

September 11 and, 105-106

social responsibility and, 15

Statue of Liberty and, 13, 82, 87,
106-107

American Heart Association, 120
American Legacy Foundation, 91-93,

270-271, 275
American Lung Association, 88
American Red Cross, 190
America's Second Harvest, 4, 150-151
Antibiotic treatment, 125-127
Appeal to investors and financial analysts,

increasing, 17-18
Apple Computer, 150
Approaching corporation about support

for issue, 266-268
Arthritis Foundation, 58-59
Athena Water, 108-110
AT&T Broadband/Comcast, 98-100
Attention to issue, drawing, 152-153
AT&T Foundation, 8, 15-16
AT&T Wireless, 189-190, 191

Australia, 188-189
Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, 83, 84,
89-91

Avon Future, 270-271, 275

Awareness and concern, building, 51, 236

Back to Sleep campaign, 121-122
Behavior change and corporate social

marketing, 114-115, 131, 141-142,

236

Bellevue Community College, 167-169
Benefits:

of cause promotions, 52, 55-66

of cause-related marketing, 84, 87-100

of community volunteering, 178,

180-190
of corporate philanthropy, 147,
150-162

of corporate social marketing, 119-130
overview of, 236-237, 242-243
of socially responsible business
practices, 211, 213-220

Ben & Jerry's:

corporate philanthropy of, 14
global warming and, 55-56
green@<work magazine and, 228, 229

Best Buy, 122-124, 147

Best practices:

for choosing social problem, 238-241
for developing programs, 247-25 1
for evaluation, 252-256
for selecting initiative to support cause,

241, 244-247
summary of, 256, 259-261

Body Shop, The, 17,23,68-71

297

298

Index

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 133,

264
BP, 15

Brand identity, building positive, 97-100

Brand positioning:

cause promotions and, 52, 55-56
corporate philanthropy and, 156-158
corporate social marketing and,
119-120

socially responsible business practices

and, 219-220, 232
strengthening, 13-14
Brand preference with target markets,

creating:
cause promotions and, 58-59
corporate social marketing and,

121-122

socially responsible business practices

and, 214-216
British Airways, 60-61
Business Ethics (magazine), 15
Business for Social Responsibility, 3,

10-11

Campaign plan, developing:
best practices for, 247-251
for cause promotions, 78-79
for cause-related marketing, 111-112
for community volunteering, 201,
203-204

for corporate philanthropy, 172-173
for corporate social marketing, 141-143
overview of, 20

for socially responsible business

practices, 233
See also Communication plan,
developing; Implementation plan
Cantalupo, Jim, 37-38
Cash donations, 146
Castells-Heard, Liz, 98
Cause:

commitment to, 241, 255-256
long-term support for, 241, 255-256
selecting multiple initiatives for,

245
See also Issue

Cause promotions:
of Aleve, 58-59
benefits of, 52, 55-66, 242-243
of Ben & Jerry's, 55-56
of The Body Shop, 68-71
of British Airways, 60-61
campaign plan, developing for, 78-79
considerations for, 77-78
of Dell, Inc., 33,35
description of, 23, 49-51
examples of, 53-54
of Johnson & Johnson, 71-74
keys to success of, 68-77
of LensCrafters, 74-77
of McDonald's, 38
of Nordstrom, 64-66
of PARADE magazine, 63-64
of PETsMART, 56-57
potential concerns with, 66-68, 248,
257

strengths to maximize, 257
types of, 51-52
of Wal-Mart, 61-62
of Washington Mutual, 25, 27-28
Cause-related marketing (CRM):
of American Express, 105-108
of Athena Water, 108-110
of Avon, 89-91
beneficiaries of, 84
benefits of, 84, 87-100, 242-243
campaign plan, developing for, 1 1 1-112
of Comcast, 97-100
considerations for, 111
of Dell, Inc., 35-36
description of, 23, 81-82
keys to success of, 101-1 10
ofLysol, 93-95
of McDonald's, 38, 40-41
of Northwest Airlines, 102-105
potential concerns with, 100-101, 248,
257

of QVC, 91-93

strengths to maximize, 257

of Target, 96-97

types of, 83-84, 85-86

of Washington Mutual, 28, 29

Index

299

Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC), 120
Challenges to doing good:
evaluation, 21

initiative to address issue, selecting,
19-20

program plan, developing and
implementing, 20

social issue, choosing, 18-19
Change for Good program, 60-6 1
Chicanos Por La Causa, 139
Child care center initiative, 167-169
Children, marketing to, 210
Children's Miracle Network, 61-62
Chiquita, 208, 228-231
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), 217
Choosing:

initiative to support cause, 241,
244-247

social problem, 238-241
Cisco Systems, 17, 147, 213
Citibank, 88

Classroom Presentations program, 31-32
Clout, improving, 14-16
Co-branding, 66-67
Coca-Cola, 209, 213-214, 215
Coffee and conservation, 223-225
Comcast Cable, 23, 97-100
Commitment to cause, 241, 255-256
Committee to Encourage Corporate

Philanthropy, 173
Communication plan, developing:

for community volunteering, 203-204

for corporate philanthropy, 173

overview of, 250
Communications, persuasive, 49-50, 52
Community volunteering:

of AT&T Wireless, 189-190, 191

benefits of, 178, 180-190, 242-243

campaign plan, developing for, 203-204

considerations for, 202

of Dell, Inc., 36-37

description of, 24, 175-176

of Fannie Mae, 186-187

of FedEx, 184-185

of Ford Motor Company, 180-181

of Hewlett-Packard, 181-184
of IBM, 196-198
keys to success of, 192-202
of Levi Strauss & Co., 199-202
of McDonald's, 43-44
potential concerns of, 190-192, 248,
258

of Shell Australia, 188-189

strengths to maximize, 258

ofTimberland, 192-196

types of, 176-178

of Washington Mutual, 31-32
Compack system, 217
Computer literacy initiative, 164-166
ConAgra Foods, 4, 150-151
Concerns to minimize:

for cause promotions, 66-68, 248,
257

for cause-related marketing, 100-101,
248, 257

for community volunteering, 190-192,
248, 258

for corporate philanthropy, 162-163,

248,258
for corporate social marketing,

130-132, 248, 257
for socially responsible business
practices, 220-222, 248, 258
Cone/Roper tracking studies, 5, 11-12, 16
Conservation:

coffee and, 223-225
of energy, 17,37, 213, 220, 221
of water, 137-140
See also Recycling
Conservation International, 223-225
Conservation Volunteers Australia,
188-189

Considerations for implementing:
cause promotions, 77-78
cause-related marketing, 111
community volunteering, 202
corporate philanthropy, 172
corporate social marketing, 140-141
socially responsible business practices,
231-232

Constituent groups, 240

300

Index

Consumers:

cause-related marketing and, 82, 101
corporate social marketing and,

130-131
global marketplace and, 208
socially responsible business practices

and, 221-222
Contribution:

asking for, 262-276
in-kind, 4, 9, 160-162
nonmonetary resources, 263
persuading people to make, 51, 60-61
recognizing corporation for, 274-275
requests for, 67
Contribution to goals, see Goals,

contributing to
Cook, Sunny Kobe, 144
Corporate philanthropy:

benefits of, 147, 150-162, 242-243

campaign plan, developing for, 172-173

of ConAgra Foods, 150-151

considerations for, 172

of Costco Wholesale, 166-169

of Dell, Inc., 36

description of, 23-24, 144-145

of GE Consumer Products, 152-153

of General Mills, 159-160

of Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.,

156-158
keys to success of, 163-172
of McDonald's, 41-43
of Microsoft, 163-166
of New York Times Company

Foundation, 154-156
potential concerns of, 162-163, 248,

258

of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI),

169-172
strengths to maximize, 258
types of, 145-147, 148-149
of Washington Mutual, 3 1
Corporate social initiatives:
causes supported through, 3-4
definition of, 3
of Dell, Inc., 34
of McDonald's, 39

options for, 22-24
overview of, 46-48
of Washington Mutual, 24-33
Corporate social marketing:
benefits of, 119-130, 242-243
of Best Buy, 122-124
campaign plan, developing for,

141-143
considerations for, 140-141
of Crest, 132-134
of Dell, Inc., 36
description of, 23, 114-115
of Dole, 127-128
of Home Depot, 137-140
issues focused on by, 115-119
keys to success of, 132-140
of Mustang Survival, 124-125
of Pampers, 121-122
potential concerns of, 130-132, 248,

257

of Premera Blue Cross, 125-127
of Safeco, 134-137
of 7-Eleven, 129-130
strengths to maximize, 257
of Subway, 119-120
of Washington Mutual, 28, 30-3 1
Corporate social responsibility, definition
of, 3

Costco Wholesale, 166-169
Council on Economic Priorities, 14
Creative brief, 78-79
Crest Health Smiles 2010 initiative,
132-134

Criticism of social marketing, 131
CRM, see Cause-related marketing

(CRM)
Customers:

appeal to, 265

attracting new, 87-89

exchange process and, 262-263

loyalty of, building, 56-57

Dave Matthews Band, 55

Dell, Inc.:

cause promotions of, 33, 35
cause-related marketing of, 35-36

Index

301

community volunteering by, 36-37
corporate philanthropy of, 36
corporate social initiatives of, 34
corporate social marketing of, 36
description of, 33
norm, establishment of, 6
socially responsible business practices
of, 37
Dell, Michael, 33
Demos, Steve, 220
Developing plan, see Campaign plan,
developing; Communication plan,
developing
Direct contribution, see Corporate

philanthropy
Disabled populations, access for, 210
Disclosure, expectations of, 209, 210
Discovernursing.com web site, 72-73
Disney VoluntEARS, 204
Dispersion of effort, 191
Dole Food Company, 127-128
Donations, persuading people to make, 51,
60-61

Don't Mess With Texas campaign,

129-130
Dreyer's, 19

Drowning prevention campaign, 124-125
DuPont, 147

Earth Share, 36
Earthwatch Australia, 189
Employees:

attracting, motivating, and retaining,
16, 184-185, 209, 237

cause promotions and, 61-62

corporate philanthropy and, 171

social issues and, 265-266

well-being and satisfaction of, 218-219,
232

See also Community volunteering
Energy conservation:
Cisco and, 17, 213
EPA and, 37

wind power and, 220, 221
Environmental responsibility, 215-216
Environmental volunteering, 178

Evaluation:

assistance with, 274

best practices for, 252-256

as challenge, 21

community volunteering and, 198
corporate social marketing and, 142
importance of, 10
outcomes, measuring, 249-250,

253-255, 274
purpose of, determining, 252
See also Tracking investment and return
Exchange process, customer-oriented

approach to, 262-263
Expense of community volunteering, 191,

195

Experience and selecting initiatives,
246

Expertise, clinical and technical:
corporate social marketing and,
131

providing, 146
Exxon Mobil, 147
Exxon Valdez oil spill, 7-8

Facility design, 209
Fannie Mae, 6, 15, 186-187
FedEx, 184-185

Feeding Children Better initiative,
150-151

Financial analysts, appeal to, increasing,
17-18

Financial incentives, 232

Financial institutions and affinity card

programs, 87-89
Fine, Deborah, 271, 275
Fiorina, Carly, 1, 181-182, 183
Firestone Tire & Service Centers, 23
5 A Day program, 127-128
Ford Motor Company, 6, 147, 180-181
Fortune Brands, 15
Fortune (magazine), 14-15
Friedman, Milton, The Social Responsibility

of Business Is to Increase Profits, 182
Full disclosure, expectations of, 209,

210

Fund-raising for cause, 89-91, 236

302

Index

GE Consumer Products, 152-153
General Mills, 159-160
General Motors, 161-162
Gift of Sight initiatives, 74-77
Giving, as increasing trend, 4-5
Global Environmental Council of

McDonald's, 45-46
Goals, contributing to:

choosing social problem and, 239-240
community volunteering and, 181-184
examples of, 237
selecting initiatives and, 244
Goals, establishing, 249-250
Good, definition of, 2-4, 236. See also

Reasons for doing good
Goodwill in community, creating:

corporate philanthropy and, 152-153
socially responsible business practices
and, 213-214
Grants, 146, 159-160, 170-172
Great American Bake Sale, 63
Great American Cleanup, 93-95
green@work magazine, 228, 229
Guidelines, corporate, developing,
259-269

Habitat for Humanity, 1 80
Health- and safety-related projects:

Intel and, 219

volunteering for, 178
Healton, Cheryl, 93
Hewlett-Packard, 6-7, 15, 181-184
High School Intern Program, 32-33
HIV/AIDS:

Coca-Cola and, 213-214, 215

Levi Strauss & Co. and, 199-202
Home Depot, 137-140
Howell, Park, 137

IBM, 15, 196-198
i-community program, 182-183
Identifying:

corporations connected to issue,
265-266

needs, 233, 244

strategic elements, 250-251

Identity of brand, building positive,

97-100
Image, improving:

cause promotions and, 64-66
community volunteering and, 188-189
overview of, 14-16
Immunize for Healthy Lives program, 41,
42

Implementation plan:

for community volunteering, 201-202
for corporate social marketing,
143

developing, 272-273

for socially responsible business

practices, 233
See also Considerations for
implementing
Improving image, see Image, improving
India, 182-183

Industry, strengthening, 154-156

Initiative to address issue, selecting:
best practices for, 241, 244-247
for cause-related marketing, 112, 113
overview of, 19-20

In-kind contributions, 4, 9, 160-162

Intel, 219

Investor appeal, increasing, 17-18, 208
Issue:

administrative legwork and, 273-274
approaching corporation for support for,

266-268
business needs and, 268-269
choosing, 18-19, 238-241
community volunteering and, 201
corporate philanthropy and, 172
corporate social marketing and,

115-116, 119
corporations related to, identifying,

265-266
developing list of, 263-265
finding good match, 130-131
implementation plan, developing,

272-273

initiative to address, selecting, 19-20,

112, 113, 241, 244-247
monitoring status of, 255-256

Index

303

proposal, submitting to corporation,
271-272

recognizing contribution to, 274-275
sharing information about, 269-271
See also Cause

Johnson & Johnson's Campaign for

Nursing's Future initiative, 71-74
Journalism, support for, 154-156
J.P. Morgan Chase, 147

Keep America Beautiful, 93-95
Kellogg, 6

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., 156-158,

260-261
Killinger, Kerry, 22
Kraft Foods:

global obesity initiative of, 226-228
socially responsible business practices
of, 24, 208, 209

Learn more, persuading people to, 51
Legal issues, 100, 112
LensCrafters' Give the Gift of Sight

initiative, 74-77
Leveraging current efforts and

investments, 237, 246-247
Levi Strauss & Co., 199-202
Lincoln, Rose, 135
Litow, Stanley S., 196
Litter prevention campaign, 129-130
Local communities, impact on, 158-160,

238-239

Long term, supporting cause over, 241,
255-256

Loyalty, customer, building, 56-57
Lysol, 23, 84, 93-95

Management buy-in, obtaining, 251
Marketing, see Cause-related marketing

(CRM); Corporate social marketing
Marketing model of social issues, 264-265
Marketing plan, 112, 142
Market share, increasing, 11-13
Materials for manufacturing and

packaging, choosing, 210

Maxwell, David O., 187

May, Trish, 108

McDonald's Corporation:
cause promotions of, 38
cause-related marketing of, 38,
40-41

community volunteering of, 43-44
corporate philanthropy of, 41-43
corporate social initiatives of, 39
description of, 37-38
on evaluation, 21
Happy Meal, 208
norm, establishment of, 7
socially responsible business practices
of, 44-46

South Central Los Angeles riots and,
15

Measuring:

allocating resources for, 256
outcomes, 249-250, 253-255, 274
resource outputs, 252-253

MetLife, 147

Microsoft, 163-166, 264

Mission of business, 239, 265

Monitoring status of issues,
255-256

Moore, Charles, 173

Moral marketplace factor, 8

Motorola, 207, 217-218

Mustang Survival, 124-125

National Cancer Institute, 127-128

National Cristina Foundation, 35

Nature Conservancy, 264

Needs, identifying, 233, 244

Newman, Paul, 108

Newman's Own products, 83

New York Times Company Foundation, 4,

154-156
Niche markets, reaching, 91-93
Nike, 7, 215-216

Noncash contributions, see In-kind

contributions
Nonmonetary resources, 263
Nordstrom, 64-66
Norms, establishment of, 5-7

304

Index

North Carolina's Heart Disease and
Stroke Prevention Task Force,
119-120
Northwest Airlines, 83, 102-105
Nursing promotion initiative, 71-74

Obesity prevention initiative, 226-228
Objectives, establishing, 249-250. See also

Goals, contributing to
Obligation, fulfilling, 8-9
Olympic Youth Camp, 38
On Demand Community program,

197-198
Operating costs, decreasing:

best practices for, 237

overview of, 17

socially responsible business practices

and, 211,213, 232
Oral health campaign, 132-134
Outcomes, measuring, 249-250, 253-255,

274

Pampers, 23, 121-122
Parade magazine, 62-64
Participate, persuading people to, 52,

60-61, 236
Partnerships:

Aleve and Arthritis Foundation,

58-59

British Airways and UNICEF,
60-61

cause promotions and, 62-64
cause-related marketing and, 95-97,
111

corporate philanthropy and, 1 73
corporate social marketing and, 116,

119, 127-128
natural, discovering, 263-265
with NGOs, 225
Parade magazine and Share Our Strength,

62-64

plan development and, 249
selecting initiatives and, 245-246
socially responsible business practices
and, 216-218
PepsiCo, 23

PETsMART Charities, 56, 68
Philanthropy, see Corporate

philanthropy
Philip Morris, 20
Pink ribbon products, 91
Plan, see Campaign plan, developing;
Communication plan, developing;
Implementation plan
Positioning of brand:

cause promotions and, 52, 55-56
corporate philanthropy and, 156-158
corporate social marketing and,
119-120

socially responsible business practices

and, 219-220, 232
strengthening, 13-14
Preference for brand with target markets,

creating:
cause promotions and, 58-59
corporate social marketing and,

121-122

socially responsible business practices
and, 214-216
Premera Blue Cross, 125-127
Privacy protection, 210
Process improvements, 209-210
Procter & Gamble, 15
Products:

connection to, 265

differentiation of, 232

discontinuing, 210

donating, 146

issue, choosing, and, 239

quality or performance of, improving,
232

showcasing, 189-190
Profits:

improving through reducing costs,

125-127
increasing, 208
Program plan, see Campaign plan,

developing
Projects in community, volunteering for,
177. See also Community
volunteering
Promotions, see Cause promotions

Index

305

Proposal, submitting to corporation,
271-272

Publicizing efforts, 162-163, 192, 195

QVC, 91-93

RadioShack, 122
Rainforest Alliance, 230-23 1
Raising funds for cause, 89-91. See also

Contribution
Reasons for doing good:

appeal to investors and financial

analysts, increasing, 17-18
brand position, strengthening, 13-14,
55-56, 119-120, 156-158, 219-220
corporate image and clout, improving,

14-16, 64-66, 188-189
employees, attracting, motivating, and
retaining, 16, 184-185, 209,
237

operating costs, decreasing, 17, 211,

213, 232, 237
overview of, 10-1 1
sales and market share, increasing,

11-13

Recognition programs, 203
Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI),

169-172
Recycling:

of electronic equipment, 123-124

of eyeglasses, 74

of greeting cards, 180-181

by McDonald's, 44-46

of shoes, 215, 216

of solid waste, 2 1 7-2 1 8

of used computer equipment, 33,
35-36
Red Brick Learning, 97
Regulatory oversight, reducing, 216-218,
237

Relationships in community, building,
178, 180-181,237

Replication of promotions, 68

Reporting:

allocating resources for, 256

on corporate responsibility, 5, 14-16

outcomes, 253-255

resource outputs, 252-253
Reputation, building, 150-151, 236
Requests for contributions, 67
Research techniques, 266
Resource outputs, measuring and

reporting, 252-253
Return, see Tracking investment and

return
Ritter, John, 63
Roddick, Anita, 17,69
Ronald McDonald House Charities,

41- 43, 97-100

Ronald McDonald House program,

42- 43

Rotary International, 88-89

Safeco, 134-137

Safe driving initiative, 161-162

SAFE KIDS Walk This Way, 185

Salerno, Mary Beth, 81

Sales, increasing:

cause-related marketing and, 81-82,
93-95

corporate social marketing and,
124-125

overview of, 11-13
Salt River Project, 138
Satcher, David, 114
SaveOurEnvironment.org, 55
Scholarships, 146

School Fundraising program, 96-97
School Savings program, 28, 30-31
Scrutiny and socially responsible business

practices, 216-217
Senior management buy- in, obtaining,

251

September 11:

American Express and, 105-106

McDonald's and, 44

trends since, 11-12, 16
Services:

donating, 146, 263

issue, choosing, and, 239

showcasing, 189-190

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